


A-Mute-ilation

by TheMiraculousOkapi



Category: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (Cartoon)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adventure, Cowboy accent is used, Escape, F/M, Foxy Oc, Hugo pov, Japanese Macaque, Monkey mutes, Ninjas - Freeform, POV Third Person, Parent-Child Relationship, Season/Series 03 Spoilers, Snow Storm, The Plot Thickens, Things just got complicated, cool mutes, hugo lives, humming bomber nectar, mega polar bear, music references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:34:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27899176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMiraculousOkapi/pseuds/TheMiraculousOkapi
Summary: (Warning: Season Three Spoilers) The rumors of Hugo's death had been highly exaggerated. Okay, so he faked his own death. To serve as penance for being an evil tyrant and trying to kill everyone, Hugo has gone into the world to spread new of Kipo's paradise where humans and mutes can live together peacefully.Five years later, he comes across a settlement of mutes and humans that seem to live side-by-side together peacefully, but then he finds out there are darker things afoot.  On top of that, a damsel is in distress but doesn't think much of being rescued.
Relationships: Scarlemagne | Hugo/Original Character(s)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 23





	1. Prolog

Ever since she became a mega jaguar, Kipo had an uncanny ability to sneak up on people. But…because she tended to talk a lot—and I mean, a lot—this never was a problem. However, one day, she returned home after a great day with her friends and keeping the peace between humans and mutes. Although she never applied for the job, whenever there was some sort of dispute whether big or small, everyone came to her. Not that she minded. She loved the job as peace-maker.

Oh, right, back on topic.

When she came home, somehow, her entrance went unnoticed by her parents. Lio and Song were on the couch, talking. Because they weren’t whispering, Kipo assumed they weren’t talking about something she shouldn’t be listening in on. After all, she was eighteen. Why would her parents keep secrets from her?

“What should we do?”

“I don’t know. It sounds really bad. I don’t think this is something he can do by himself.”

“But we can’t leave. It’s so far away. How would we get there? What about Kipo?”

Kipo walked through the halls, her jaguar senses kicking in, stealthily walking closer. She was only slightly aware that what she was doing maybe—just maybe—wasn’t polite.

“Kipo can take care of herself.”

“I know, but she’ll want to know where we’re going. And she’ll find out about him.”

“Maybe it’s about time she knows. She’s grown quite a bit, so she won’t just run off without an explanation.”

“But he said to keep it a secret.”

“Keep what a secret?” Kipo asked, announcing her presence. Her conscience finally convinced her that eavesdropping on her parents wasn’t exactly mature for her age.

Lio and Song jumped, surprised by her presence.

“Kipo!” her father shouted, his voice rising higher than a boy going through puberty. “I didn’t know you were home.”

“What are you talking about?” Kipo asked. She jumped over the back of the couch and landed between her parents. “It sounds serious. Are you going on a trip?”

While Las Vista was a peaceful place since mutes and humans had become friends, Kipo knew the rest of the world wasn’t so lucky. Sure, her story had spread to other places, and she had done what she could to help the suburbs, towns, villages and other cities nearby, but until she was a little older, her parents wouldn’t allow her to travel too far away. Was that about to change?

Both Song and Lio looked away, a sure sign that they were hiding something.

“Are you hiding something from me?” Kipo asked, scrutinizing their faces.

Their faces said it all. They were totally hiding something from her.

“What is it? Is it something good? A good surprise?” Kipo asked, going with the best guess. But her parents’ faces didn’t fit with that guess. “Okay, so it’s something bad. A bad secret.” Again, Lio and Song’s faces said she wasn’t exactly right. “Okay, so it’s a mixture of good and bad. I can handle that. Give it to me, Mom and Dad.”

Instead of talking to their daughter, Lio and Song turned to each other and had what looked like a wordless conversation. Their facial expressions and gestures changed rapidly as if having a discussion; Song was really good at this having been a mega monkey for thirteen years. Finally, they both sighed and nodded.

“Okay. You deserve to know,” Lio said.

***

_Five Years Earlier_

_Lio and Song rushed to where Hugo’s convertible flamingo had crashed after attacking mega mute Emilia. Their hearts were with Kipo, hoping she was fine, that she would make it out of this, and could stop Emilia, but they could do nothing for their daughter. But they could be there for Hugo._

_It took them nearly an hour to make it through the debris and up the skyscraper, and when they did, they sighed with relief to see Hugo standing at the precipice and staring off across the bay where Kipo had disappeared. His clothes were a little torn, and he held his side, but he appeared relatively unharmed._

_“Hugo,” Lio called out, rushing to his side._

_“She has done it,” Hugo said, not turning to the humans. “She has stopped Emilia. That human won’t harm anyone again, human or mute.”_

_“How do you know?” Lio asked._

_“A little bird told me,” Hugo said wryly, pointing to the sky where a humming-bomber was flitting around and telling the story to anyone who would hear it. “They’re actually quite the little gossips despite their tough demeanors.”_

_“And Kipo?” Song asked._

_“She’s fine. No doubt she’s on her way here with another stupid party idea or some such nonsense,” Hugo said, twirling his hand. “She’s what the future needs. Hope. Love. And parties, guess. And that future needs to be without Scarlamagne.”_

_Lio and Song were silent a while. “Yes, without Scarlamagne, but it needs you Hugo. We need you Hugo.”_

_“No, you don’t,” Hugo said, his face tensing. “And the future will be better off without me.”_

_“What are you saying, Hugo?” Song asked._

_“That it’s time that I fade into the night. Ride off into the sunset. Say my final farewells. Let the curtain fall,” Hugo said with his usual dramatic flair. “As long as I am in the picture, there will be some who will remember Scarlamagne’s reign and fear. As much as I would love to watch Kipo turn this place into a paradise for humans and mutes, I cannot stay.”_

_“Kipo won’t let you,” Lio said. “She’ll find a way to convince you to stay. If you leave, she’ll drag you back.”_

_“I know.” Hugo turned to the man he had seen—no—that he saw as his father. “Which is why you and Song are going to help me fake my own death.”_

_“No, we won’t do that,” Song said. “So much has been lost these years. You have been without a family for so long. You deserve happiness.”_

_“No, I don’t, Song,” Hugo said, putting his hands on his mother’s shoulders. “I have done terrible things to you, to Lio, to Kipo, to everyone. You and Kipo and a few others have forgiven me, but it would be inconceivable for me to expect everyone to be so benevolent. I don’t deserve happiness, but I do deserve redemption. Kipo taught me that.” He smiled. “I will find a way to make penance for all the evil I caused and redeem myself. In time, perhaps I will return, but for now, I must go.”_

_Song tried to convince Hugo that he was wrong, but Lio said, “He’s made his decision. It may not be what we want, but it is a fine decision, one that I can agree and be proud of.”_

_Hugo’s eyes widened. Lio was proud of him. He couldn’t have asked for a better going away present._

_Song was crying, hugging him._

_“Oh, careful. I think I’ve cracked a few ribs,” Hugo said. “Don’t worry, Song. I’ll write. I’m sure I can find a dragonfly to be a courier for me. I’ll travel the world, tell everyone I meet about Kipo and her beautiful world where mutes and humans live together in harmony. Please, let me go.”_

_“Okay,” Song said through her tears._

_They talked like they used to, before Scarlamagne, before Kipo, when it was just the three of them. When they heard Kipo approaching in mega jaguar form, they set the scene, placed Hugo in the right spot, and let her come._

_Hugo gave a convincing performance._

***

“Hugo is alive!” Kipo shouted so loudly, they were sure the mega bunnies could hear her.

“Yes,” Lio replied.

“And you kept this secret for five whole years? You lied to me this whole time?” Kipo was on her feet, gesticulating wildly.

“You aren’t going jaguar on us, are you sweetie?” Song asked, trying to calm her down with a joke.

“No. Maybe. But why?”

“Because Hugo wanted it to remain a secret,” Lio said. “And I agreed with him. He needed to do something to redeem himself. Saying sorry isn’t enough. And we all knew that if you knew, you would just drag him back home.”

“Yeah, of course. He’s…like…my big brother,” Kipo said. She calmed down. “I see your point. But why couldn’t you have told me earlier. I’ve been so sad this whole time.”

“And that broke our hearts,” Song said, pulling Kipo into a big hug. “The only thing that kept me quiet was I kept imagining the day Hugo would decide to come home, and I would get to see that huge grin on your face.”

“You mean this one,” Kipo said, splitting her face to show her teeth. “I can’t believe it. Hugo is alive! Where is he? How is he doing? What is he doing? Has he made any new friends? Come on, I need details!”

“And that’s why we told you,” Lio said. He held out a stack of papers. “It seems that Hugo is in trouble. Big trouble. And he’s asking us for help.”

“Then we have to go help him,” Kipo said, ready to go mega and race to the rescue. “Let’s go!”

“There’s a lot you need to know before charging in,” Lio said, pulling his daughter back on the couch. “You should read Hugo’s letters.”

“Okay,” Kipo said, grabbing the stack of papers from Lio’s hand. “This is going to be so cool. It’s like reading a story about Hugo.”

“Uh…that’s only what he wrote this last time,” Song said, leaning down and picking up three large binders filled with paper. “These are the rest of his letters.”

Kipo’s eyes grew round. “Whoa, he…really likes to write.”

“Yeah, Hugo is prolific. You should get started. Song and I, we’re going to start packing.”

As they left, Kipo opened the first binder, her heart pounding.


	2. Im-Mute-able

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hugo hears a rumor of a town where mutes and humans live peacefully side-by-side. With his companion, a fox named Reggie, they search the Appalachian Mountains for the town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After considering the future of this fanfic, I have changed the rating to Teen for violence and disturbing images that will happen later in the story.

Chapter 1: Im-Mute-able

_Today, we are in Northern New York. Normally I wouldn’t venture too far in that direction because of that incident in my first year with the Rocky Mountains. Mandrills are not made for the snow. But it is summer, and the snows are far away. Anyway, I have been curious to see what has become of the island Manhattan ever since I read about Broadway. I had heard many rumors about the mute societies there as well as the miles of underground subway tunnels underneath the cities where humans lived._

_The city has become a disaster, even worse than Las Vistas has ever witnessed. The mutes are at war with each other for territory and food, some of them primitive and debase to the point that they could hardly string a sentence together, and it was difficult to communicate with them. Many spoke foreign languages which, even I, couldn’t pinpoint their origins. I believe I have found the first mute language, born from the streets of New York City. It might be fascinating to you scientists, but it was frustrating, especially the part where they drove us out._

_While I was there, I saw few humans, and they didn’t let me speak to them. I do not think they had the benefits of your burrows for they were filthy, sickly, and skinny. I understood that all non-vocal mutes had left the island long ago, and I suspect the remaining humans are the cause._

_Strangely, there are no mega-mutes in the city except for those in the bay. After Lio had shown me some of those monster films long ago, I would have thought New York City would have been full of mega-mutes. Kipo would have loved that._

_I’m afraid that New York may not hear of Kipo’s legacy for some time. My companions and I are wary of returning. Perhaps once Kipo is old enough to travel as I have been, she could come and straighten out that mess._

_After leaving the Big Apple, we traveled west. We caught a performance of a traveling flea circus near the city called Albany where we heard another rumor straight from a horse’s mouth that a colony of mutes and humans lived together, side-by-side._

_I know. I couldn’t believe it either. I thought Kipo’s Utopia was one-in-a-million, but what if it’s not. What if there are others with the same beliefs? Traveling the world, I thought that changing each and every mute and human’s mind toward peace was an impossible job, even with a mega jaguar, but if there are others, world harmony may not be as unattainable as I thought._

***

Hugo place the page he was writing in his back. When the dragonfly he called Courier—yes, it’s such an original name—returned, he would send it off with her latest correspondence with Lio and Song. The paper was torn on one edge, showing where he ripped it from a book. Paper was a precious commodity in this age where human-made products were becoming scarce. If he was lucky, he could find a notebook or some printing paper from an office supply store, but it was rare. Sometimes, like in this occasion, he had to tear the blank pages he found in books. He abhorred scarring any piece of literature—yes, even the trashy ones—but he needed to write. Mostly he wrote to Lio and Song, but sometimes he wrote poems, about what he said, but mostly he wrote compositions.

The one thing he missed the most—besides his family—was a piano. Occasionally, he could find one in one of the human homes that hadn’t been trashed by mega mutes, but most were dreadfully out of tune. He could fix that, if he had the proper tools. But, alas, the common man several hundred years ago tended not to keep tuning tools in the home.

A red fox approached at a trot, canteens swinging and sloshing from around his shoulder. “Mornin’ Sunshine,” he said with a “cowboy” accent. “It’s ‘bout time ya woke up. Storm’s a comin’, and I’d like to find a good shelter by nightfall.”

“Yes, my morning ablutions have been completed, Reggie,” Hugo said, standing up and dusting off his pants.

Although his clothes had been taken from an old mall back in Washington, DC only a few weeks ago, there were holes in his knees. And they needed washing again. Although he was used to life on the move, he remembered his old life, with civilized clothing and servants to clean up after him.

Reggie clicked his tongue, approaching their pack animal, a red ant. He secured their canteens, checked all the straps that kept their things tied to the ant, then changed the simple halter for a bridle. “Come on, yer highness,” he said, his voice thick with sarcasm. “Time to get movin’.”

Hugo grunted, putting his pack on the ant. “I’m regretting telling you my past.” It wasn’t the first time he said this.

Reggie, after learning about Hugo’s past, “bust a gut” laughing. The fox always had an odd sense of humor, and the idea of Hugo appointing himself emperor in America delighted him. Of course, the land hadn’t been “America” for over two hundred years, but for some reason, Reggie was a patriot of the old country, land of the free and home of the brave.

Which, in turn, was humorous to Hugo since he had first met Reggie being chased by a pack of coyotes after trying to rustle a large portion of their herd of ants. Hugo had been an accidental savior to the fox, and since then, they had been traveling companions. Reggie insisted he was only going with Hugo to pay the life debt, but the mandrill suspected that there was something more to the fox. Heaven knows, they weren’t compatible as friends, yet Reggie insisted on staying with him.

Once the ant, named Antoine—or “Ant-twooon” as Reggie pronounced it—was packed, it skittered off with the fox’s gentle touch on the bridle.

The rumors of the mute and human settlement pointed them north to the Appalachian Mountains, closer to the country once called Canada. Hugo knew this because of an old map he found in an abandoned gas station. He liked maps, even though borders no longer had meaning in this day and age.

They had been traveling for three days now and hadn’t seen any signs of mutes or humans, just the debris and remains of past human civilization. Hugo thought nothing of it at first, but after the fifth small town they came across without any signs of life except for a few non-vocals, he rethought his earlier decision. Most abandoned human towns had one or two species of mutes living there, so to pass by five uninhabited, it was unusual.

Antoine snatched a large bush as they ascended the side of a mountain, heading deeper into the wilderness, eating the greenery. Ants, as livestock and pack-animals, were common in the small towns and farming areas. In the mid-west, several species of mutes used the large insects to cultivate acres and acres of land, growing wheat, oats, corn, and other crops. It was a hopeful sign that mutes were moving forward, becoming harvesters rather than scavengers, hunters and gatherers.

It was around mid-day that Reggie said, “Smell that?” his nose in the air.

Hugo sniffed. Fox noses were better than mandrills, so he caught nothing.

“I bet there’s a hot spring nearby. Could use a bath, eh?” Reggie winked.

“Yes, you could,” Hugo said. He may not have been able to smell the hot spring, but he could certainly smell the fox’s body odor…for the past month. But he had no room to talk. Hot baths were as rare as paper. Bathing in a lake or river wasn’t bad in the lowlands, but in the mountains, even in summer, the water was ice-cold.

Eventually, he could smell the sulfur that came with natural hot springs, but only faintly. He only hoped that it wouldn’t be boiling hot or too silty. When he first heard of natural hot springs when he passed through Yellowstone, he had been intrigued. But the hot pots and geyser areas of the once famous national part nearly turned him away from them entirely.

“Ah hah, look over there,” Reggie said, pointing farther up the mountain. “It’s that way. Look at all them steam.”

Hugo suppressed the urge to correct Reggie’s grammar. Any comments on his incorrect choice of words or pronunciation made him grumpier than a wolf without fur.

He looked up where the fox was pointing, seeing a column of steam rising from the deciduous trees. It was so thick, it almost looked like a cloud. Perhaps some of it was clouds since the sky was looking a bit cloudy. If Reggie said that a storm was coming, one would be wise to head for high ground.

“Is it prudent to stop now?” Hugo asked. Although he would love to soak in a bath, it wouldn’t do them any good if it started raining, churning the ground into mud.

“Eh, we’ve got a good six or seven hours. I’m sure there’s some caves along that ridge there that would shelter us tonight,” Reggie explained. “We have time.”

The ant tirelessly continued up the mountain. Eventually, the two mutes could hear the babbling of water, too soft to be a river. The steam became thicker, the moisture clinging to their fur. The mountain air was a mixture of cool and warm, the summer’s sun fighting for territory in the sky.

Finally, they came to a level area, rocky, and clear of trees, bushes and other plants. Out of the mountainside, a stream of water bubbled out, filling up a pool around fifteen by twenty feet.

“Yeeeee-haw!” Reggie shouted, pulling back on Antoine’s reigns so hard, the ant reared, making insect-like grumbles at such rough treatment. Without waiting for the ant to come to a complete stop, Reggie jumped off, pulling off his clothes as he ran except for the black, decorated cowboy hat that he loved. At the water’s edge, he jumped in, not even checking the water’s temperature.

Hugo winced, hoping that he wouldn’t hear screams of pain. He relaxed when the fox gave an exaggerated sigh, the sound of splashes as he swam around. The hot springs weren’t boiling, so that was a good sign.

With Reggie already bathing, it was up to Hugo to make sure Antoine was comfortable. He traded the ant its bridal for a simple rope around its neck staked to the ground. The ant had thirty feet of rope to wander and eat whatever it could reach of the vegetation. And although its strength could easily rip out the stake or it could snap the rope with its mandibles, Antoine was trained enough to know not to do these things.

Modestly, Hugo then removed his clothes, folded them in a pile and slowly eased into the water. It was the perfect temperature. He sunk in as far as he could and still breathe, letting the water wash away the dirt and grime, the heat seeping into tired muscles.

It was heavenly.

Minutes passed by, and Hugo enjoyed the quiet, the sounds of the forest. As he had in previous times before, he wondered what it would have been like to listen to these beautiful areas before the mutes came. There would have been birds chirping, bees buzzing, the sounds of other wildlife mixed in.

He had cultivated quite a library of books, mainly poetry and literature, to know that this was what nature had been like before those chirping birds became chatter boxes, the buzzing bees became ravers, and all those other animals found different identities among the world of mutes. Not for the first time, he longed to know what the pre-mute world had been like, experienced it for himself. But that would be an exercise in futility, a useless dream. If it wasn’t for the mutation of all animals, he wouldn’t have existed.

After a while, he felt his body becoming over heated in the water. His mind was becoming fuzzy. He was reluctant to leave the water for the chilly air, but it was either that or pass out.

After shaking as much of the water out of his fur, he grabbed his second—and only spare—set of clothes to put on, these much like the first. The cloth clung to his damp body uncomfortably.

Looking toward his companion, he saw Reggie lounging in the water still, his black cowboy hat covering his face and snoring softly. Not knowing how long the fox would name, Hugo took his dirty clothes to the far end of the spring to soak and scrub. When he was done, he hung them on branches and bushes to dry. Even then, Reggie wasn’t awake.

There were several things that Hugo could have done with his spare time: eat, look for a cave, repair some of their equipment, even write. But he didn’t feel like doing any of that. There was something about the hot springs that concerned him. The pool was lined with rocks, not a natural formation; these rocks had been carved or specifically picked for their flatness. Even in the pool there were flat stones that felt almost like seats.

Someone, mute or human, had also cleared away some of the undergrowth, creating pathways leading down the mountain. He and Reggie weren’t the first to find these hot springs recently. In fact, Hugo would bet that they were frequented by someone, but who?

Curious, he decided to follow one of these pathways. Perhaps the fabled town where mutes and humans lived peacefully was nearby. He didn’t bother to wake Reggie; the fox would know he would return, and he didn’t intend to go far.

While the grass and other plants weren’t worn to the ground, there were other signs that the path was frequented. Broken branches and clipped bushes told of civilized life as well as a wooden sandal left on the wayside, most likely lost by some child.

Not far down the path, he found another hot spring pool, this one fed by a warm waterfall, most likely falling from the pool Hugo and Reggie found. He found a third, this one radiating heat so intense, he knew it would burn. The crafted stones weren’t lined along this pool, but a metal bucket was hung from a nearby tree.

After a few more minutes of walking, his ears picked up the sounds of talking. Unsure that he would be approaching friend or foe, human or mute, Hugo decided that discretion would be the better part of valor in this setting. He crept down, keeping as low as he could. Eventually, he caught sight of something colorful between the green and brown of the woods.

The voices had gotten louder, but not distinct enough to understand what was being said. Keeping in the bushes, Hugo caught sight of a pair of mutes in colorful robes, standing under a tree. They appeared to belong to the primate family, but he was unsure of what specific species of monkey they were. Both were females, and they were talking and giggling.

“What are you speaking of?” a voice called farther away, also female. The owner of the voice was out of sight, but still quite close.

“Nothing, My Lady,” one called over a bush. The two lowered their voices to a whisper, stifling giggles.

As quietly as he could, Hugo crept around the giggling females in search of that third voice. He needed to know how many others were here and what their purpose was here. Why were those two females just standing around? Were they traveling? It was in Hugo’s nature to suspect the worse of everyone until proven otherwise.

A few times, he had to scamper from one bush to another, and hoped that the two monkey mutes wouldn’t see him. Their talking didn’t stop as he went around them to look for the third voice and anyone else in the vicinity. Soon, the sound of the chatter was rivaled by falling water. His nose and the increase of moisture in the air told him that another hot spring pool was nearby.

Then he divided the branches of a bush and caught sight of the owner of the third voice.

Her vermillion face and tawny-gray fur were distinctive of her species, one he recalled from when he read a book about monkeys. She was a Japanese Macaque. And she stood under a trickling waterfall of heated water completely naked.

While taboo of nudity was almost entirely embraced by humanity, for mutes it wasn’t so much a concern. The need or want to wear clothes were merely a life choice, one that some species like Dave’s wore not a stitch with pride. Others, much like skunks or humming bombers, found clothing to be a unifier among the group, giving identity to their gang to divide themselves from other mutes. Hugo had also put a lot of stock in clothing, using it as a way to raise him above everyone else.

But in all cases, mutes never used clothing as a way to cover themselves in a sense of decency or because it was wrong, at least, none of the mutes Hugo had met. But this macaque, the way she stood, the careful way she kept her hands and arms around her chest, it spoke of a humility that he had never seen in other mutes.

He knew he should look away, merely because he had done what he sought to do. He had seen that the three monkey mutes were alone, and they don’t seem to be a threat to him or Reggie, but he just couldn’t leave. There was something about the macaque’s face that captivated him.

She looked…sad. It was a soft, calm sadness, one that she must have kept inside herself until this moment. She was alone, she could show her sadness on her face without anyone knowing. All her movements were graceful, poised, but at the same time slow and longing, as if prolonging her bath.

Music rose in Hugo’s mind as he watched, a composition playing without physical instruments to play the concerto. It was played in the key of B, slow and sad. The left hand would play a soft, low tempo, moving between three or four different chords every other measure. His right hand twitched as he imagined the melody, the quarter and eighth notes rising and falling in his imagination. Sometimes he would throw in a trill of sixteenth notes up in the higher octave.

The macaque washed her arms, her head, letting the water cascade on her face and down her back. The way she moved, she matched the rhythm of Hugo’s song. Or was it the other way around. He couldn’t tell, but together, it created a dance. It was as if he had two sets of eyes, one to watch the female mute in her bath, the second seeing notes on the grand staff of his mind. As the song wound down, his left hand still kept the beat of the composition, going lower down the keys, the notes getting deeper, but the right hand ended on high E, holding it for several measures.

And rest.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the beauty of the music, trying to imprint it in his mind, scratching everything in his brain until he could write it down. But his thoughts were interrupted by sobbing.

Eyes shooting open, he saw the macaque covering her face, her shoulders heaving. She had lowered so far into the water that her chin caused ripples.

_No, this is wrong,_ Hugo thought, realizing he had lingered too long. The music had distracted him from realizing he was prying into the female’s privacy. What was wrong with him?

He started back away as quietly as he could, but he foot came into contact with a large stone. He stumbled and landed on his back, giving a small cry in the process.

“Who’s there?” the female’s voice called out, her sobbing ceased.

Hugo lay still, not wanting to bring any more attention to himself than he already had. Perhaps she’ll think it was one of the other female mutes that had made the noise.

“What is it, My Lady?” As if on que, the other monkey mutes breached through the bushes.

“I thought I heard something over there,” the macaque said, no doubt pointing where Hugo was hiding.

Thinking that the other two monkey mutes were approaching, Hugo crawled away, doing his best to disturb nothing while he fled. He was glad that he no longer wore the bright red Rococo style clothing, which would have made him stand out like a fish out of water…Wait, that euphemism no longer works.

When he heard the two female get closer, he lay completely still, hoping they wouldn’t search too hard. There was some rustling in the foliage he was hiding in.

“There’s nothing here, My Lady.”

“Would you like us to stay and keep you company.”

“No,” the macaque said. “I think I am finished with my bath.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

Hugo was determined to stay right where he was until the three monkey mutes left. It was uncomfortable and something was poking him in the back, but it would be penance enough for his breach of propriety toward the female macaque. However, to his surprise, the position he ended up gave him a perfect view of where the macaque left her bath, welcomed into an open towel by the two other females.

As she was dried, brushed and draped in a thin, white robe, the macaque stood completely still, back straight, head held high, and looking forward. Her earlier sorrow was gone, now a solid stoic expression was cemented on her face, framed by her now fluffy fur. Who was this mute? Why had she been so sad before? Why was she being attended to like she was royalty?

Wild stories raced through Hugo’s mind. He had read stories of princesses being sacrificed to monsters from old human children books and old myths. Andromeda was to be sacrificed to the monster, Cetus. Virgins were given to dragons and ogres to slake their appetites. For a moment, he wondered if he had somehow stumbled onto a mute cult where this macaque would be sacrificed to a mega mute.

But that was jumping to conclusions. He berated himself, thinking he had been reading too many fantasies of late. Still…there was something that told him he wasn’t far from the truth.

The attendants then started wrapping the macaque in several more layers of robes, one red, another white one, and then the last and most elaborate of the articles of clothing. This one had an embroidered pattern of white and gold flowers on a red background. They finished the macaque’s attire by wrapping and setting a wide belt that was tied in the back.

A spark of memory awoke in Hugo’s memories. He had seen this style of clothing before. Back when he was researching human history, he had seen some pictures of ancient Japanese clothing. He wasn’t entirely familiar with it since he was more interested in European fashion and culture, but the kimonos and obis were distinct.

“Hugo!”

All the muscles in Hugo’s body tensed at the sound of Reggie’s voice piercing the air. Craning his neck, he could see patches of red fur through the foliage, coming down the same pathway that Hugo had traveled not that long ago.

“Hugo! Where is that gol-dang—Oh, ‘cuse me.”

Reggie had rounded the bushes where the three primate mutes were. The two attendants huddled and squealed at the presence of the stranger, but the macaque kept her dignified stance.

“Sorry t’ bother ya ladies,” Reggie said, taking off his hat and bowing. His manners belied his usual crudeness, but made up for the fact that he wasn’t wearing a shirt, his damp pants sitting low on his hips.

“Do not look upon the Lady Kinako,” one of the attendants said, both of them stepping forward to hide the macaque from the fox’s sight. “She is in the middle of her cleansing ritual, and should not be gazed upon by an outsider.”

“Pardon me,” Reggie said. He turned around, but a patronizing smile grazed his muzzle. “I don’t suppose ya’ll have seen my pard’ner. He’s some sort of baboon, goes by the name of Hugo.”

“Leave immediately,” the second attendant said, ignoring Reggi’s words. “If we scream, soldiers will come.”

The macaque, now going by the name of Lady Kinako, placed a hand on each of the attendants, placating them. “We have seen no one but yourself, stranger. You are not from our village, are you?”

“No, m’am,” Reggie replied. “My friend and I are travelers. We followed a rumor of a town where mutes and humans live side-by-side in harmony. Is yer village such a place?”

“It is,” Lady Kinako said. “Why do you seek our village?”  
“Beats me. My pard’ner is the one wantin’ to see it. I’m just his guide and ant rangler.”

“If you and your friend mean no harm, then you will be welcomed in the village.”

“My Lady, is that wise. He is a stranger?” an attendant said, turning to the macaque.  
“Nonsense. We have always welcomed other mutes,” Lady Kinako said. “Forgive my companions. We are not allowed outside of the inner walls very often, and meeting strange mutes is a bit frightening.”

“No problems. If ya could point the way, I’ll git and let ya ladies alone.”

Lady Kinako pointed along a mountain ridge, showing a clear pathway through the forest. “Follow that path five miles, and our village lies in a valley near a large river.”

“I thank ya kindly, ma’m,” Reggie said, tipping his hat although he wasn’t facing the females. “I’ll be takin’ my leave.”

“No need, good fox,” Lady Kinako said, stopping Reggie. “We must be going, and therefore will not impeding your search for your friend.”

The macaque and her attendant opened large, paper fans with calligraphy paintings, and the attendants held large umbrellas for the three to walk under. They walked away slowly and gracefully, their robes lifted, showing wooden sandals on their feet similar to the one Hugo had found along the path.

“HUGO!” Not long after the three monkeys left, Reggie began hollering again.

Just to stop the racket, Hugo popped up through the bushes, placed a finger to his lips, and hissed as loudly as he could, keeping an eye on the retreating backs of the female mutes.

“Hugo, how long were ya there?” Reggie asked, only lowering his voice to that of half a yell.

“Lower you voice,” Hugo ordered, carefully stepping out of the bushes once he was sure it was safe.

“Right. What were ya doin’ in there,” Reggie asked, shoving his front paws in his pants pockets and strolling closer. He looked around, spotted the pool and gave Hugo a lecherous grin. “Ah, spyin’ on them gals, huh?”

“I was doing no such thing,” Hugo defended, raising his voice. “I just so happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. And to save face, I thought it best if I remained quiet rather than to cause a scene.”

“Boy-howdy, ya right there, pal,” Reggie said. “Those monkey mutes looked ready to claw my eyes out if I got close to that lady. I guess ya got a pretty good look at her, yeah?”

Hugo turned away, refusing to be embarrassed around the fox. Yes, he had gotten a good look at her. Perhaps too good.

“Well, the good news is that we’ll have a place to stay the night,” Reggie said, stretching. “If there’s a village down there, it means shelter from this storm.”

It was only then that Hugo realized that the air’s temperature had lowered quite a bit, and the wind had picked up. Through the swirling mist coming up from the hot springs, he could tell that dark clouds were rolling in.

“Indeed,” Hugo said, although he wasn’t as eager as to get away from the storm as he was at the prospect of seeing Lady Kinako again. After all, it wasn’t every day that he met a mute that inspired such beautiful music to rush through his head.


	3. Mute's the Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hugo and Reggie follow Lady Kinako to the village of Saruishi. It may look peaceful, but something isn't right about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little late. First, it was the holidays, so that came first. Also, I got sick. I had to get a Covid test-came back negative YES! This chapter is heavy on world-building, but I think it turned out really well. Let me know what you think of it.

As the two mutes returned to their ant and supplies, the wind picked up, blowing the leaves and branches all over as if the trees were dancing wildly. The mist created by the hot springs looked pale against the darker clouds that were rolling closer. Thunder could be heard in a distance.

Hugo and Reggie quickly grabbed their clothing and jumped onto Antoine, heading down the mountain in the direction Lady Kinako pointed out, which turned from a dirt trail to a cobble-stone road.

Traveling by ant is fast, especially since the giant insect could run tirelessly with only a small amount of food and rest. Because of this, Hugo expected to catch up with the monkey mutes and perhaps offer them a ride. He was eager to see Lady Kinako again, wondering if the music would return if he saw her again. He was disappointed when they traveled a mile and still saw no sign of the female mutes.

It wasn’t until they had crossed over to another mountain, descending down its slope, that they spotted a large, wooden palanquin painted red and gold, carried by four burly gorilla mutes dressed in gray robes.

“Evenin’, Ma’am’s,” Reggie greeted, tipping his hat as their ant passed the palanquin.

The gorillas nodded their heads, one repeating the nicety in an unexpectedly high voice. The gorillas moved at fair pace and weren’t even winded, although they were having a little trouble with the wind pushing against the palanquin.

As they moved ahead, Hugo watched the palanquin, wondering if the monkey mutes were inside. His curiosity was satisfied when the black curtain over one window was drawn back a few inches, and he perceived golden eyes framed by a red face looking at him for only a second before Antoine sped past them.

As if they took the pace of the ant as an affront to their strength, the gorilla bearers picked up speed, keeping up with the large insect.

Hugo mulled over the palanquin. It was an odd way to travel in the chaotic world of humans and mutes, but not altogether surprising. Mutes tended to fixate on some aspects of human culture and create their own identity, much like skunks from Las Vistas had taken on the appearance and attitude of biker gangs, but it was very rare for antiquated history to be emulated. He recalled his own stint of insanity of forcing humans and mutes to dress in cravats, corsets, and fancy wigs.

As his thoughts jumped around to the past, Reggie’s words leaked back to Hugo. “How did you know those gorilla mutes were female?” Hugo asked. “We hadn’t seen their faces, and I don’t think we were close enough to smell them.”

“The backs o’ their necks,” Reggie said, tapping his shoulder blade. “Male gorillas have gray hair on their backs all a way up t’ their heads.”

“Ah, silver backs,” Hugo said with a nod. “I didn’t think of that.” Once more, he was surprised by Reggie’s knowledge of random facts.

Antoine followed the path winding down one mountain, a little big over another, then down a third which opened up into a green valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. The valley looked to span twenty or more miles in all directions. Nestled at the foot of the mountain they were descending was a village. Sideswiping through the valley was a river, which disappeared somewhere on the other side out of sight.

“My, don’t that make a perty picture,” Reggie said, leaning against Antoine’s head.

Hugo ignored the bad grammar. “Yes, it does.”

It was the kind of scene that artists with kindness and peace in their soul would paint and hang in their living rooms.

As they closed the distance to their destination, Hugo could see that the village was surrounded on all sides by twenty-foot walls comprised of thick tree trunks, sharpened on the top. The path ended at an open gate guarded by two chimpanzee mutes in black robes. On closer inspection, they also had a pair of swords strapped to their left hips, one longer than the other. Hugo couldn’t remember what the shorter sword was called, but if he knew his Japanese history, he was sure the other was a katana, the traditional weapon of a samurai.

“Halt,” one chimpanzee guard called, holding out a hand. His companion put a hand on the hilt of his katana.

“Evenin’, pardner,” Reggie said, bringing Antoine to a stop. “I don’ have any identy-fication on me, but ya’ll jus’ have t’ take my word that I’m who I saez I am.”

The chimps’ faces remained stoic, either because they had no sense of humor or they didn’t understand. “Strangers aren’t allowed in Saruishi without permission,” the lead ape said, looking at them with suspicion.

“Allow them entry, Captain.” The gorilla-powered palanquin stopped behind Antoine. The curtain was fully open, and a face hidden behind a painted fan leaned out.

“But Lady Kinako, the Daimyo said—“

“He said, ‘Without permission’,” Lady Kinako interrupted, her voice soft but commanding. “They have my permission. My maids and I met the fox in the mountains and was congenial to us. He and the mandrill are to be my guests while they are in Saruishi.”

The chimpanzee pair bowed. “Yes, Lady Kinako.”

Reggie moved Antoine to the side, gesturing toward the gate. “After you, ma’am.”

The palanquin moved, but only until it was side-by-side with the ant. “I see you have found your companion, good fox,” Lady Kinako said, her golden eyes shifting to Hugo. “May I have your names, please?”

“I’m Reginald. Reginald Bristol, bu’ friends call me Reggie. An’ this is Hugo.”

Hugo crossed his abdomen with one arm and bowed as formally as he could while straddling a giant ant.

“I am very pleased to meet you.” Lady Kinako’s head and fan inclined. “My name is Lady Kinako. We do not get many visitors in Saruishi, and it saddens me that you did not arrive at the best time.” Her eyes rolled upward at the darkening sky. The wind hadn’t grown stronger, but the temperature dropped and there was the taste of rain on the air.

“Seems t’ me we came at the best time,” Reggie said, his whiskers twitching as he smiled. “We could use some shelter.”

“An optimist,” Lady Kinako said, her eyes shining. “Why are you traveling through these mountains?”

For this question, Reggie turned his head to Hugo, expecting the mandrill to answer.

Realizing he had yet to address the macaque, Hugo felt a little nervous, wanting to make a good impression. He had enjoyed listening to Lady Kinako’s voice; it was deep for a female’s and had a musical lilt to it. He wondered what she would sound like when she sang.

Clearing his throat, he said, “We are humble travelers who journey from village to city to town, spreading a simple message.”

“And what message is that?” Lady Kinako’s intense gaze held his.

“Peace,” Hugo answered simply. He did not want to scare off any mutes revealing his true intentions. Oftentimes, the mere mention of humans—much less peace with humans—is enough to send some mutes running or fighting.

The Japanese macaque’s eyes slid sideways, uninterested. “If that is your message, it will be well-received albeit unnecessary. You will not find a more peaceful village than ours.”

“Everyone could use more peace. Perhaps even yourself, My Lady,” Hugo said, raising an eyebrow. He was reminded of her sadness back at the hot springs. If the village was so peaceful, why was she so sad?

“Maybe,” she replied softly. “You have intrigued me, Hugo and Reggie. I would like to invite you to the palace tonight. There is a banquet being held in my honor, and I would like you to be my guests. We even have space to stable your noble mount. It would be a nice change to hear about your travels beyond the mountains.”

“That’s mighty kind of ya, ma’am, bu’ my companion an’ I ain’t quite rightly attired fer a party with such a distinguished host,” Reggie said, pulling at his dirty shirt.

Lady Kinako’s eyes crinkled. “Do not worry, good fox. When you present yourself at the steps, my servants will attire you properly, that is, if you do not mind our garbs.”

No doubt Reggie wouldn’t feel comfortable in such a formal setting, but Hugo wasn’t going to miss out on such a luxury after roughing it for five years. Plus, it would give him a chance to talk to Lady Kinako again.

“We would be honored, My Lady.” Again, he bowed.

Lady Kinako returned the bow and turned away as if to end the conversation, but her eyes went back to Hugo. “Please, forgive my brashness, but you have impeccable manners. But your scars…” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. It is not appropriate. Please forgive my rudeness.”

“Think nothing of it,” Hugo replied, smiling, although inside he was wary. He had learned that Kipo’s story wasn’t the only one being spread throughout the land.

She studied him for a silent moment before asking, “Are there many mandrills beyond the mountains?”

“I have met a few of them,” Hugo replied.

The truth was that primate mutes were rare. He had posed an inquiry to Lio and Song about this, and they hypothesized it was because primates weren’t native to this part of the world. Long ago, before mutes rose to intelligence, humans had exported exotic animals from other countries to this land—what used to be called the United States—and put them in zoos.

In Las Vistas, the larger colonies of mutes: wolves, skunks, hummingbirds, etc., these were all species native to the area. Gerard and the other primates from Las Vistas were, no doubt, offspring of zoo animals. Since learning this, Hugo had noticed an abundance of native species and domesticated animals, and the rarity of more exotics including almost every species of primate. The exception of this was the capuchin and squirrel monkeys, which he fathomed had migrated from South America.

He had met a few other mandrill mutes. The females weren’t so bad, but it seemed that every male he had come across, they all had scars. Not from accidents or fighting. They self-mutilated with a fanatical belief that they would become like the “legendary” Scarlemagne. It made it so Hugo could hide his past so well, but he shuddered at what kind of legacy he left behind.

Was that the reason Lady Kinako was about to ask about his scars? Or was it possible she was asking if he knew another mandrill, one that she knew? Perhaps her questions were only coincidental. After all, how could such an isolated community have heard of his story?

“I look forward to seeing you at the banquet, Reggie and Hugo,” Lady Kinako closed their conversation. She withdrew farther into the palanquin and replaced the curtain, but not before lowering her fan and giving Hugo another glance at her ruby face. Again, she looked sad, almost tired.

And again, the notes played in Hugo’s head, reminding him of the melody he needed to write down. He itched for paper and pen.

The four gorilla bearers took that as a sign to move on, passing through the gates.

Keeping Antoine at a slow walk, Reggie followed the palanquin into the village. Once they were beyond the walls, the wind died down. The street they followed was wide and held a large section of stores, markets, and restaurants. Despite the looming storm, there were plenty of mutes walking about or riding in rickshaws. There was even a bicycle or two.

Reggie gave a low whistle. “This is quite a place, ain’t it, Hugo?”

Hugo didn’t respond, but he agreed. The village was certainly interesting. The architectural structures styles were enough to catch his attention, which were various. Several buildings were log cabins, while others were constructed with adobe, and all of them didn’t look older than a few decades. From this he deduced that the village had been built by mutes, unusual since most mute societies often used the ruins of human structures to live. At least that was the innermost layer of the village. On top of the log and adobe, architectural flourishes were added, mainly clay roof tiles, stylized crossbeams, and door frames, and these looked older, predating mutes.

If Hugo were to guess what happened here, it looked as if the mutes had raided Chinatown all the way in Manhattan or somewhere closer, and used pieces to accent their buildings.

And that wasn’t the half of Hugo’s observations. So far, the buildings, the clothing, and the food being in the restaurants was a hodgepodge of different cultures, mostly from Asia like Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan, but a little bit of everything was mixed in. An example of such cultural fusion was seeing a mute eating a burrito with chop sticks while wearing an Indian sari and a Yankee’s baseball cap.

Yet the thing Hugo noted of greatest interest was that a majority of the mutes appeared to be of the primate family. There were other species, but it was a small ratio, probably one mute in ten wasn’t a monkey or an ape. And from the way certain mutes acted and dressed, he guessed this isolated society worked through a caste system based on species, with non-simians lower in food chain.

His final observation was that there were no humans. So much for the rumors of mutes and humans living peacefully in the Appalachians.

“Do ya want t’ go t’ the palace now, or do ya want t’ look ‘round?” Reggie asked.

Looking ahead, the palanquin had already disappeared around some corner. Looking over the smaller buildings, Hugo had some idea of where this palace was, seeing a larger building off to the south.

“Let’s go to the palace,” Hugo suggested, nodding forward.

“Can’t wait t’ talk t’ Lady Kinako again, huh?” Reggie said with a wink.

Hugo was about to protest, but knew that wouldn’t deter the fox’s teasing. The phrase, “The lady dost protest too much,” applied frequently in their conversation, despite it not being gender accurate. However, he had to admit, he did look forward to seeing the macaque mute again, but his motives weren’t as crass as Reggie suggested.

But as much as Hugo wanted to see Lady Kinako, he had other reasons for wanting them to hurry forward. The looks that the mutes gave Reggie were not altogether flattering. He suspected that the lower-class—the non-primate mutes—were considered servants or worse. That didn’t bode well for Reggie.

But that was nothing compared to the looks he received. Some mutes stared openly, sometimes with gaped mouths, while others glanced at him over shoulders, between fingers or through curtained windows. Several whispered after looking his way. He could almost read the lips of the mutes.

_Scars._

He knew Reggie’s safety was an issue, and he had serious reservations about his own.

Plus, the rain began to fall in small droplets.

Keeping on the main thoroughfare because Antoine wouldn’t fit through the smaller alleys, they turned and received their first view of the palace. Beyond a second wall, this one slightly smaller than the ones surrounding the city, the building held an awe-inspiring beauty, painted red with black and gold accents. It looked as if someone had pulled it out of the Japanese history books. It was too small to be considered an actual palace, but besides its size, it was impressive. It was three stories high with large, stone steps leading to the second story, a pair of lion-dogs at the foot of the stairs.

_How did they build this?_ Hugo wondered. He was certain it wasn’t taken from another city and rebuilt here; it was too big. And it looked too new to be constructed during the pre-mute eras. So was it made by mutes? Why? Who would put a replica of a Japanese palace in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains?

The gates leading through the second walls were guarded by two more large statues of lion-dogs along with more chimpanzees. The gates were open already, and the chimpanzee guards bowed them in, apparently already forewarned that the fox and mandrill were guests. The red doors, larger than the walls with an arch, had two golden Eastern dragons painted with beautiful detail.

“I feel like royalty,” Reggie said, nodding to the chimpanzees. “A welcome like this makes me think of retirin’ from the road, eh Hugo?”

Reggie may look relaxed attitude, but Hugo knew that that was a mistake many in the past had made and regretted it. To under-estimate the fox could be the worst mistake anyone made; the mandrill had witnessed this many times. But then again, Reggie sometimes neglected to catch subtle details. It was hard to read him to know how much he figured out on his own. Because of this, Hugo was eager to take him aside and exchange notes.

Once they were past the gates, the dragon doors were closed with a resounding _thud_. It was clear that not everyone had access to the palace.

Three ring-tailed lemurs approached them, wearing simple, silk robes of blue. Two were female and held umbrellas which they held above Reggie and Hugo’s heads when they dismounted the ant.

The third lemur, a male, said with a bow and a smile, “Welcome, honored guests. I am Hiroshi. I will be attending you during your stay at Saruishi Palace. If you please, come this way.”

“What ‘bout my ant?” Reggie demanded.

“And our affects?” Hugo said, indicating the packs.

“There are servants to take care of that,” Hiroshi said off-handedly. “There is nothing to worry about.”

Hugo wondered if that was really true, but he couldn’t think of a good reason to argue this point. Not to mention, he didn’t want to lug everything up the front steps nor did he want their things to sit in the rain which was coming down heavier by the minute.

With a clap of Hiroshi’s hands, several juvenile, male gorillas dressed in blue robes marched over and started unpacking Antoine. One that looked younger than the others took Antoine’s reigns, waited until the ant was unloaded, and then led the creature away around back.

With Hiroshi guiding, they hiked up the large staircase to the palace followed by the gorilla bellboys. As they reached the doors to enter the palace, they were stopped by several monkeys in blue, silk robes, each holding a pair of wooden sandals and stockings with a single split for the big toe.

“Outside shoes are forbidden inside the palace. I hope you understand,” Hiroshi said.

Hugo nodded. “It is no bother.” Considering that he had been wearing the same hiking boots for months on end, it would be refreshing to change out of his usual footwear.

As for Reggie, he lifted each foot, wriggling his bare toes. “I guess wippin’ mah feet on a mat ain’t good enough,” he said, laughing.

The monkeys in blue, silk robes helped everyone put on the sandals before they entered the palace. The lemurs with the umbrellas bowed and disappeared through the first door they came upon.

The inside wasn’t as impressive as the outside. Hugo had expected statues, painting, jade figurines, calligraphy poems, and other such things that he related to historical Japan, but the inner workings of the palace were very blank. In fact, if it weren’t for the tatami mats and the paper sliding doors, he would have thought they were in a modern, American building.

With nothing to distract his mind, Hugo set about observing their hosts as well as any simian mute they came across, for once they went through the dragon gates, he only saw primates besides Reggie. Within this caste system, non-primates were definitely at the bottom.

But the system wasn’t that simple; there must be more to it. Hiroshi and the gorillas as well as those with the umbrellas and sandals, all of them wore blue, silk robes. He speculated that the color indicated rank or perhaps their job uniform. Blue for servants? But the cloth was definitely silk, rather nice for servants. Was there a ranking system for servants as well?

He thought back to the pall-bearers for Lady Kinako’s palanquin. Those gorillas wore black, but they weren’t silk. Did they have a lower rank because they were female? Or did gender and species have anything to do with it, and that was their individual rank? All the guards he encountered were chimpanzees. Did species have different jobs?

As Hugo mulled over these questions, he almost ran into Hiroshi as their guide stopped, opening a rice-paper door for them.

“These are you quarters.” Hiroshi gestured through a large gap in the blank walls into a separate room, just as blank and empty as the rest of the building except for a pair of futon mattresses, a low table and a ceramic, lion-clawed bathtub looking out of place in the Asian scenario.

The gorilla gang followed Hugo and Reggie into the room, stacked all their luggage and left. Hugo was sorry they had to haul everything inside since most of their possessions were camping gear like their tent, sleeping bags, food, and other necessities, but it would have been a huge hassle separating everything else out.

“The banquet isn’t until this evening. Until then, please rest. If you need anything, a servant will be outside your room. New clothes will be brought an hour before the banquet,” Hiroshi stated matter-of-factly, smiling and bowing before closing the sliding doors.

For a few moments, Reggie and Hugo stared at the paper doors, watching through the thin walls as Hiroshi and the gorillas moving back down the hallway.

“Doesn’t give a body much privacy,” Reggie said, placing hands on his hips.

Hugo met Reggie’s eyes and raised an eyebrow, and he knew that the fox understood. Whatever they said in this room, no doubt someone else would be listening in. Any information they wanted to exchange or notes needing to compare would have to be carefully communicated.

Reggie stretched out his back and legs, shaking out his bow-legged stance from sitting astride Antoine for so long before going to their packs. “Since we have so much time on our hands, I’m a gonna git outta these wet things. An’ I might as well organize.”

Hugo hated when he organized. It usually entailed throwing everything in a pile and picking some cockamamie order in which to repack everything so that Hugo couldn’t find anything. “Just don’t touch my things.”

“I ain’t gonna.”

Usually Hugo would supervise, but he felt restless. He wanted to explore, find out more about this village, and why it was so fixated on Japan’s ancient culture, but he was certain the servant outside their door was more of a guard than an errand boy. But there were other ways of moving around. It was too bad it was raining.

Hugo pulled off his cloak. It had kept most of the rain off of him, but if he was going to be climbing around and poking his nose into random corners, he didn’t need it weighing him down or getting underfoot. Moving to the opposite wall as the sliding doors, he opened the window latches, bringing in a gust of cold air and the smell of rain. Fat drops splattered the sill and the floor nearby.

Reggie didn’t say anything. He only glanced at Hugo and went back to rummaging through the packs. If anything were to happen to the mandrill, Reggie could feign ignorance.

But before Hugo could leave, he stopped, looking out beyond the window. Their view must have been of the back of the palace, which held a beautiful green garden. It tried to mimic a Japanese garden, but mountainous plants didn’t hold the same beauty, although there were a few cherry trees. Narrow pathways winded around the garden, occasionally crossing a small bridge over the many ponds which may or may not hold koi fish. But that wasn’t what had made Hugo pause in his tracks.

On the farthest side of the garden, up against the wall, was a large, golden statue of Song. Not Song, the human. Song the mega-monkey with eight limbs held in a graceful pose similar to a Hindu deity. It may have been a Hindu deity, but Hugo was almost certain it was Song because if he squinted just right, there was something on her shoulder. And if he was a betting mandrill, he would put money on the guess that whatever was on her shoulder had scars on their face.

“This isn’t good,” Hugo said, climbing back inside and closing the window.


	4. Take My Mute, Please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hugo and Reggie go to the banquet.

With nothing more to do than wait, Hugo joined Reggie in reorganizing their things, more to prevent his things from being broken or “misplaced.” Some of the things that Hugo had collected, books, technology, musical instruments, and other knick-knacks, were quite tradable, which Reggie occasionally tried to pawn off in a “lucrative business deal” which was just an excuse to get liquored up.

An hour passed. With their items repacked, Reggie took another nap—that mammal could sleep anytime anywhere—and Hugo went through his literature for any Asian references. He found a few entries in his non-fiction sections, a few fables from a children’s book, and a couple of Japanese comics, which wasn’t much to go on.

As the room grew darker, the lemurs in blue robes brought by refreshments, a change of clothes, and lamps, asking if they would like water for bathing. Reggie pounced on the tray of h’ors d’oeurves and refused the bath, saying his dip in the hot springs was enough. Hugo, on the other hand, was feeling a chill from being in the rain and their room wasn’t all that warm with the storm raging outside. Plus, he still stank of sulfur.

Eventually, a gorilla came lugging a ceramic tub half-filled with water. By the silver hair that stuck out on his back, Hugo could tell that this one was male. He thanked the gorilla before he climbed into the bath. It wasn’t as hot as the hot springs, but it chased the chill away. As an added luxury, the water was scented with rose petals, something he had missed from his days as “emperor.”

He didn’t bathe long, and once he was dried, he put on the robes—which he now knew were kimonos—that the attendants brought to him, doing his best to figure out how to tie the sash—the obi. He brushed his fur, straightened his clothing and put on the socks and wooden sandals. Once he was presentable, he shook Reggie awake.

“Hmmm, wha—What’s goin’ on, Hugo?” Reggie snorted.

“Time to dress up for our hosts,” Hugo announced, holding up the kimono.

Reggie’s kimono, while made of silk, was dyed a light blue, unlike Hugo’s which was black silk. Again, Hugo wondered about the caste system of this society and what the colors meant, although he worried about Reggie’s safety once again. The color, while not the same shade as the attendants, was blue. Was that the color of servants? What did black mean? The gorillas that carried Lady Kinako’s palanquin wore black, but they were made of different materials. Did silk mean something different?

“Gal-dern thing,” Reggie growled as he tried to tie the obi around his waist. After a few more attempts, he finally asked Hugo for help with the complex sash. Once dressed, Reggie squirmed. “I feel like a lady in this getup. It’s too soft an’ too thin.”

“If you keep squirming, the belt will fall off again,” Hugo warned.

Reggie made one last adjustment, smoothed out the silk, then put on his cowboy hat. “Well, how do I look?”

“Like a bull in a china shop,” Hugo said, finding the old human saying adequate.

“Thanks.”

After that, they didn’t have to wait long for Hiroshi to come knocking at their door.

“Oh, I thought you would be ready. Would you like more time?” the lemur asked, looking concerned.

“Uh, we are ready, pardner,” Reggie said with a tilt of his hat.

“Oh, I’m afraid this won’t do,” Hiroshi said, looking worried. “May I?” Before Hugo could protest, he had undone the obi, rewrapped the kimono with the left side over right before setting the obi tight. “The kimono is done in this way. The right side is over left only for the dead.”

“Whoa, that would be a horrible foh pah, ain’t it, Hugo?” Reggie said, giving the mandrill’s shoulder a slug.

“ _Faux pas_ ,” Hugo corrected. He watched as Hiroshi redressed Reggie with practiced fingers.

“There, much better,” Hiroshi said with a smile and a bow. “This way.”

Two gorilla guards, which had been stationed just outside their room, took up the rear.

Hiroshi led them back through the empty halls turning down a few corners before climbing up some stairs. Reggie tripped on his kimono no less than three times on the stairs, once actually falling backwards into the arms of one of the gorillas.

“How can ya walk in these things?” Reggie asked. “Give me a good pair o’ pants any day.”

If kimonos had pockets, Hugo would have suspected that Reggie had tripped on purpose to steal wallets, watches and whatever else the mutes had a value, but the gorillas had nothing that would interest the fox. So was Reggie really that clumsy in a kimono?

At the top of the stairs were more sliding doors, which opened into yet another hall. They wound their way through several corners before coming to another set of double sliding doors.

_This place is like a maze_ , Hugo thought. He wasn’t sure if he could find his way to their room let alone out of the palace except to punch through the paper walls until finding the solid outer walls. He let a small smile slip on his lips as he imagined Reggie enjoying doing just that.

Through the double sliding doors was a large room covered completely in tatami mats with long, low tables making an upside-down U-shape. Near the tables were thin, square pillows. Hiroshi took them to one end of the U, sitting them at the end. Hugo knelt on his knees on the pillow as Reggie flopped down on his rear end.

Hiroshi cleared his throat disapprovingly.

Reggie looked around, trying to figure out what he did wrong. Hugo elbowed him, gesturing how he knelt. Reggie quickly changed positions. He rocked a little on his knees before returning to his original position. “Nope, ain’t gonna,” he said, folding his arms stubbornly.

Hiroshi sighed but let him be.

At that point, Hugo and Reggie were the only ones there except for servants in blue silk robes bustling about, setting delicate china dishes along the table. No sooner did Hiroshi leave than other guests were led in by more servants, shown their seats, and left. All guests were seated the farthest from the head of the banquet, which Hugo guessed meant that of lower rank were seated first before the guests of honor were to arrive. Of course, he and Reggie were of the lowest rank despite being Lady Kinako’s guests.

Reggie’s stomach growled loudly. “How long do ya think it’ll be until they serve the food?” he whispered to Hugo.

“When everyone arrives,” Hugo whispered back. “Have patience.”

Reggie groaned.

Hugo felt hungry too, especially since he didn’t eat any of the refreshments from earlier, but watching the guests was enough for him to ignore these pains. As he had seen before, all the guests were of the primate family, a majority of them apes like chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and those of baboon and macaque families. Those of the lower primates, like monkeys and lemurs, were of the minority.

However, of those attending, they did not wear any color coordinated robes like he had seen of the servants. The guests wore kimonos of silk with elaborate patterns and embroidery. From this, he determined that these were the mutes that made up the upper class of the system.

The guests tried to be discreet in glancing his and Reggie’s way, but they couldn’t hide their curiosity from Hugo’s notice. He ignored their gazes and the whispers that were obviously about him. He thought reassuring words to himself, but he couldn’t stop the growing stone in his belly telling him that this town meant trouble.

The tables were half-way filled, about forty mutes so far, when a servant carefully set small, shallow bowls in front of them and a china dish that looked similar to a vase.

“What this?” Reggie asked, his nose wriggling as he sniffed.

Seeing that those around him were pouring out a liquid from the decanter into the bowls, Hugo did likewise, taking a sip. “Sake,” he said. “Rice wine.”

This perked Reggie up. The fox poured for himself and tipped back his drink as if he were taking shots. Smacking his lips, he smiled. “No bad.”

Next, a soup was served in earthenware bowls. The soup looked watery and murky with a slice of shitake mushroom floating on top. Reggie didn’t bother sniffing before taking a big slurp. Thankfully, he managed spit it back up into his bowl without making too much noise.

“What in tarnation is this swill?” Reggie accused, dumping it back on the table.

“Oh, that is miso soup,” an elder orangutan who sat next to Hugo said. “The Daimyo says that it is peasant fare, but Lady Kinako insists that it be served at every meal. It was her father’s favorite dish.” The orangutan lifted the bowl and took a sip and sighed. “I have heard that miso soup can prolong one’s life if you drink it every day. Whether that be true or not, it is healthy, and I like the taste.” He sipped again.

The orangutan seemed to be the only one sipping the miso soup. Others partook of the bowl with a ladle-like spoon or had pushed it away.

Not wanting to offend the elderly mute, Hugo also picked up the bowl and took a sip. The soup was hot but not enough to burn. The taste was subtle but not bland. On further drinking, mouthfuls came with bits of tofu and seaweed. Hugo drank the whole thing, liking it but couldn’t image drinking it every day.

By this time, the seats had been filled except for two, where either the hosts or the honored guests would sit. Looking around, Hugo didn’t see that Lady Kinako had been seated yet. If the banquet was in her honor, she would be seated last. But who would be sitting next to her?

The servants that had been rushing back and forth to serve drinks and soup had thinned out until the last girl in blue whisked out the door. Then there was the sound of a gong before the entire wall behind the tables opened up, revealing Lady Kinako in the most beautiful kimono of red and gold standing beside a burly gorilla in the same colors. Unlike the other mutes in the room, his robes were open, showing the large muscles of the pectorals as well as a glance of the abdominal muscles.

The guests, who had been talking before this time, silenced at the gong, turning as Lady Kinako and the gorilla stepped forward and knelt on their pillows. As if that was a sign for the banquet to really start, the servants burst in with plates full a food, serving the two at the head of honor before working their way to the ends (to Reggie’s consternation). The mutes broke out into talking once again.

“Excuse me, sir,” Hugo said, seeing that the orangutan wasn’t talking to anyone. “My companion and I are guests of Lady Kinako, but we are strangers in your town. We are travelers from afar and do not know much about Saruichi. Could you tell us who the…uh…Lady Kinako’s companion is?”

The orangutan looked at Hugo for the first time, and it was as if he hadn’t noticed he was sitting next to a mandrill and a fox. He took in Hugo and Reggie’s appearance with silent appraisal before replying.

“He is Lord Gou, the Daimyo of Saruichi,” the orangutan said. “And Lady Kinako’s fiancé.”

Hugo’s eyes widened. He was glad he didn’t have any food in his mouth because he might have choked on it.

“ _Mazel tov_ ,” Reggie said, taking another shot of sake, thankfully covering up Hugo’s surprise.

“I have answered one of your questions, so perhaps you will be willing to answer one of mine,” the orangutan said, also taking a drink of sake, although his was more conservative. “What is a mandrill with a face full of scars and a fox doing in the palace of Saruichi?”

Reggie smiled and it wasn’t because he found the question funny. “Just lucky, I guess.”

Hugo rolled his eyes and pulled the decanter of rice wine away from Reggie’s reach. Not surprising, it was already empty.

The orangutan looked more intently at Hugo, waiting for the mandrill to be the one to give an answer.

He was taking a risk talking to the orangutan, but considering that he had been placed right next to Hugo and Reggie, he must not have much influence.

“We came into the mountains after hearing a rumor that a society of mutes and humans live together in harmony,” Hugo said in a lowered voice, although the room was so noisy that nobody could hear him other than the orangutan. “But it appears that the rumors weren’t correct.”

The orangutan raised his eyebrows in surprise but nodded. “No, the rumors are correct. You have found your society.”

“But we didn’t see any humans when we went through town.”

“Oh, they don’t live in Saruichi. They live in their own town on the other side of the valley,” the orangutan said with a chuckle. “That would bring a whole heap of trouble if mutes and humans lived that close together.”

Hugo was about to contradict the elderly mute, but perhaps this wasn’t the time to bring up Kipo’s paradise.

At that time, the servants finally reached them, giving them long platters of food. One had a line of rolls of sushi, everything looking fresh and wonderful if missing any form of meat. On another plate was a sampler of cooked vegetables, some covered with spices, and some with sauces. A final plate held three small bowls of dipping sauces plus a green pile of what must be wasabi, and the light-colored shavings of ginger. In addition to this feast, a bowl of rice was placed before them.

On the side of the plates, a servant placed two smooth, polished chop sticks, the only utensil. As Hugo carefully positioned the chop sticks in hand to emulate the others, Reggie picked up his, grumbling and cursing at the difficulty he was in wielding them.

Hugo took a bite, the taste confirming his guess that Saruichi was growing their own food. No doubt close by were fields being tended to provide for the town.

“And these humans, there is peace between your two communities?” Hugo asked the orangutan, getting back into the conversation.

“Peace in a form,” the orangutan said, his lips pressed together. “We have a treaty in place to keep us from fighting in each other, but…the details aren’t altogether ideal.”

When the orangutan didn’t elaborate, Hugo didn’t push. He already had a funny feeling about this place, and this information was intensifying it, although it only gave him more questions and not enough answers.

“I’m certain that you have an interesting story considering that you were looking for us,” the orangutan said, shifting on his knees. “Forgive me. Arthritis makes this difficult.” He shifted until he was sitting on the pillow much like Reggie. “Much better. I would be suspicious of your questions and your appearance if it wasn’t for the fact that Lady Kinako invited you personally. Her name carries great weight with me.”

“Are you familiar with Lady Kinako?” Hugo asked.

The orangutan bowed. “I am Daisuke. I was Lady Kinako’s tutor when she was young. It is only because she is sentimental that I am here.” He pointed with his wobbly chin to two female and a male macaques. “That is her mother, and her grandparents on her mother’s side. When her father died from a human attack when she was young, I was there to see what kind of impact it had on her. In fact, I see her as a daughter although she is a lot more good-looking than I am.” Daisuke laughed.

Hugo smiled, liking the elderly mute even more. “She is an admirable young lady. She was so kind as to invite us to stay in Saruichi and the palace even though we are strangers.”

“She has a good heart, but sometimes is too trusting.” Daisuke pursed his lips as if he wanted to say more.

“And she’s cute to boot,” Reggie said, clumsily stabbing at the food on his plate with his chopsticks.

“Lady Kinako’s beauty is what attracted Lord Gou’s attention to her. It is my guess that is the reason she is being honored by becoming his wife. Her family’s prestige will rise with this marriage.”

“Well, that don’t sound no romantic,” Reggie said with a little too much volume. Several apes nearby glared at him, whispering things that weren’t flattering.

“Hush. You’re grammar is getting worse when you’re drunk,” Hugo told him. He turned to Daisuke. “It almost sounds as if this is an arranged marriage.”

“Oh, most definitely,” Daisuke said, looking sad. “And it wasn’t a choice that Kinako made lightly, mostly to save her family from disgrace.” Daisuke put a hand to his mouth as he hiccupped. “It seems as if your friend there isn’t the only one who drank too much sake. I would appreciate it if you didn’t repeat any of that. Lady Kinako is happy to marry Lord Gou, or at least she will be. Her status cannot be disputed.”

“Hmmmm,” Hugo mulled, thinking over things. Perhaps that was why she seemed so sad at the waterfall. If she was being forced in this marriage through social pressure… “When is the wedding? If it is close enough, Reggie and I may stay. It would give me time to find out more about your culture and the interaction between Saruichi and the human village.”

“That might not be a good idea,” Daisuke said.

“Why?” Although Hugo had a good idea as to the reason.

“I can give you three reasons why you should leave as soon as you can,” Daisuke said, his voice lowered to a deep rumble no louder than a cat’s purr. “I’m sure you can guess the first. Your appearance is…interesting. And the fact that you travel with…a fox, it is a bit odd. Standing out isn’t always a good thing.” Daisuke took a bite of food, swallowed before continuing. “The second reason is because Lady Kinako hasn’t stopped looking your way.”

Ever since finding out that this banquet was in celebration for Lady Kinako’s future marriage, he hadn’t looked at her once. But at Daisuke’s words, his eyes shot to the macaque mute, who sat with a regal posture, ate gracefully, and, indeed, had her eyes on him. When she noticed that he was looking her way, she turned her head and began talking to the mute at her side.

“Perhaps she is just interested in what we have to talk about,” Hugo said, ignoring how his heart had quickened. In that one little glance at Kinako, the music played in his head once more. Oh, why hadn’t he written down the notes before? After seeing that statue of him and Song, the music had been forgotten.

“Perhaps,” Daisuke said. “But if that isn’t the case, you could make trouble for her. Whatever your intentions for being here, you are causing a stir. Those scars, they are quite meaningful. Whether you are the mute everyone suspects or not, it will only be a burden for Kinako since she invited you here. I ask that you please leave in the morning. Don’t tell anyone that you plan to leave. If you need help, I have some influence to help you leave without notice.”

Disappointment etched at Hugo’s intrigue, but he couldn’t ignore the dark feelings that had been slowly suffocating him. It would be to his, Reggie’s and Kinako’s benefit to leave Saruichi. It may be sad that Kinako was entering a marriage she wasn’t happy with, but that wasn’t his concern. His quest was to spread Kipo’s message to the world. Perhaps, one day, he could return with Kipo and see Kinako again. By that time, she would be married, perhaps with children.

“What was the third reason?” Hugo remembered what Daisuke said.

Daisuke poured more sake into his bowl. “Lord Gou hasn’t stopped looking your way, either.” He took a drink. “That, in itself, is reason enough.”

Hugo realized he hadn’t looked at Gou for the same reason he refused to look at Kinako, but when he sized up the gorilla, there was no mistaking Lord Gou’s intense gaze was for him. Next to Gou, Kinako looked like a toy. A little smaller than the gorilla servants, Gou was no less impressive with toned muscles and emitting an aura that spoke that he was in charge. He was definitely alpha material.

Hugo gulped, feeling the dread in his stomach tightening. Clenching his fists, he felt that they were moist. He was sweating. Afraid of spreading his mind-controlling pheromones to anyone, he wiped them against his kimono. He didn’t want to break his promise to Kipo, even by accident.

“I think we will take you on that offer,” Hugo whispered to Daisuke.

Daisuke nodded. “Wait for my messenger to bring you a message. Don’t go to sleep tonight.” And as if they had just finished a pleasant conversation, the orangutan smiled and turned to his other neighbor, speaking rapidly about this year’s crops.

Hugo turned to Reggie. The fox, acting drunk only a few minutes ago, was the picture of sobriety at that moment. He had heard everything. Now if they could get out of the banquet. What excuse could they make to leave early? Sickness? Perhaps Reggie could do something stupid, pretending to be off-his-rocker drunk.

“I am tired of rumors.”

A deep voice cut through the chatter like a hot knife through butter. Everyone turned to the front of the room where Lord Gou glared at Hugo over steepled fingers.

“It seems all anyone can talk about is this ugly mandrill,” Lord Gou said, gesturing at Hugo as if he were something dirty. “So, let us put to rest the gossip and tittle-tattle. Who are you, mandrill? Are you really the infamous Scarlemagne?”


	5. It's All Fun and Mutes...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hugo and Reggie make plans to escape Saruichi. Let's see what happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank the reader who suggested that Hugo's genetic gift was because he was cooked in a lab and that not all mandrills would be able to use mind control pheromones. It wasn't crucial to the story, but the small details are what make a story enjoyable. Thank you!

The room became silent in an instant, as if the room had been magically protected against sound. All eyes turned to Hugo. Even though he was a stranger, they all knew Lord Gou was talking to him.

With no time to think—hesitating too long could be bad—Hugo threw back his head and laughed. It had been a long time since he hooted and howled like his primal ancestors, his laughter more animal than sentient, keeping the tone slightly derisive but not mocking.

Several mutes muttered and shifted, looking uncomfortable. Hugo had heard that his laugh could be chilling, which is why he hadn’t laughed like that since faking his death. Even Reggie’s tail had bristled at the sound.

“That is a good one,” Hugo said, using the sleeves of his robes to pretend to wipe away tears but in reality, he was mopping up his sweat. He had to play his part just right. “Oh, you’re serious.” He feigned surprise.

“So, you are not Scarlemagne?” It was Lady Kinako who asked.

The trick was to not tell a lie. “You mean you haven’t heard? I guess with your village being this isolated in the mountains, gossip would be hard to come by,” Hugo said, keeping his poise. “I’m afraid that Scarlemagne has been dead for five years.”

This brought more mutters from the peanut gallery. Apes and monkeys leaned over to their neighbors, their whispers filling the gaps in the conversation.

“Yes, we have heard these…rumors,” Lord Gou said. “But we all know that Scarlemagne didn’t really die.”

Hugo’s sweat glands worked overtime at this. It was a struggle to look composed and still clean off his sweat carefully.

“Everyone in Saruichi knows the truth,” Lord Gou continued. “After saving a whole city of mutes from humans, he and his giant servant rose up into the clouds to watch over all mutes and protect them.”

The breath that Hugo didn’t know he was holding pressed achingly against his chest. He slowly released it, not sure if this new development was a good or a bad thing.

“Well, it looks like Scarlemagne wen’ from emperor t’ god. Quite the upgrade,” Reggie whispered next to him, his voice full of humor.

Hugo knew full well he wasn’t going to live this down with the fox.

“Not the…exact story that I have heard,” Hugo said, trying to fill up the silence.

Lady Kinako’s eyes brightened, perhaps the most life she had showed all day. “Perhaps you could regal us with the stories of Scarlemagne. It has been many years since we have heard of news outside our valley.”

Although he had displaced most suspicion that he was Scarlemagne, this was still dangerous territory. He cleared his throat, hoping his voice didn’t carry his nervousness. “Um, perhaps I could entertain you a different way. I am skilled in a variety of instruments and can sing many songs.”

Traveling across the country, Hugo had earned his keep, sang for his supper and even saved both his and Reggie’s life by offering to entertain mutes and humans alike. And if this village was as isolated as it was, they must be starving for new talent. Why didn’t he think of this before?

“If you would let me return to my room, I will bring my instruments. Do you prefer the violin or the flute?”

Lord Gou banged his meaty fist against the table. The gorilla looked strong enough to break the table, but he must have had enough control not to damage it. “No! Instruments are forbidden in Saruichi.”

Hugo felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple. Oh dear. He had unknowingly smuggled contraband and admitted it. “I apologize, Lord Gou. I didn’t know. Then perhaps I could recite some poetry. There is a good one I know about a raven.”

“No poetry,” Lord Gou insisted, his nose wrinkling even more in anger. “No writing. No books. No music. The humans have forbidden that we own these objects.”

Hugo opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He not only brought into the city all the wrong things—apparently everything he loved was forbidden—but he was now useless. All his skills, everything of value, were banned.

Except…

“Then how about a story?” Hugo asked, a smug smile crawling on his face. “Those aren’t forbidden, correct? Or else, how would you learn about Scarlemagne?”

Lady Kinako’s eyes sparkled more, and Lord Gou’s body relaxed.

“You are correct, mandrill,” Lord Gou said, his voice softening. “We do have our stories. These aren’t forbidden us.”

“Then let me entertain my honored hosts and earn the charity you have shown me and my companion,” Hugo said, standing up. He stumbled as he did, his legs feeling numb and shaky. Perhaps he should have sat like Reggie instead of imitating custom and kneeling like the locals.

Moving to the top of the U of tables where everyone could see him, he adopted a bard-like posture he used when performing. On top of playing instruments, singing, and reciting poetry, he was an excellent story-teller, having recited Kipo’s story thousands of times and repeated those he had read in books. Although, for mute audiences, he often altered the stories.

“If I may, let me start with the story of Rapunzel,” Hugo said, bowing. His eyes found Lady Kinako, who had returned to her usual stoic expression as she listened. “A dramatic story about a maiden rat mute whose tail never stopped growing.”

After that, he recited the story of Sleeping Beauty where the princess was a sloth, then about the seilkies, seals that could shed their skins and become humans. Finally, he came to the story of Snow White, a young snowshoe hare whose step-mother wanted to be the fluffiest in the land, but when Snow White grew up, she was fluffier. The step-mother, steeped in jealousy, tried to kill her, but she was saved by seven humans.

This last one was supposed to soften the audience toward humans, which helped lead into the story of Kipo, but one look around showed a different story. There were several mutes who concentrated on their food or whispered to their neighbor. Gazing up at Lady Kinako, Hugo was at least relieved that she was paying attention, but her expression looked pensive, as if she wanted to believe in them but couldn’t. This wasn’t the first time stories of good humans and the ideals of mutes and humans living together was rejected.

Lord Gou was also paying attention and looked entertained, a smile on his lips. It was sincere but not happy but patronizing, like a parent playing along with their child’s play.

Hugo gritted his teeth, determined to tell Kipo’s story regardless. That was why he left Las Vistas. Even if these mutes didn’t like the message, he had to speak.

“Enough,” Lord Gou said once Hugo finished the tale of Snow White. “While your whimsical stories helped pass the time, they are for children. Sit down, mandrill, before you put everyone to sleep.”

Several mutes laughed at Lord Gou’s jest.

Feeling dejected, Hugo did as he was commanded, the alpha part of him telling him to rebel. Perhaps he should have recited Shakespeare, but he worried that if he spoke in the rhyme of some of the soliloquies, the ape mutes would have called it poetry and taken offense.

Lord Gou stretched, his long arms flexing muscles that could break bones easily. “This banquet is over.” When he stood, all others did as well.

Hugo did likewise, but had to haul Reggie by his scruff onto his feet, the fox wobbling.

As one, all the guests bowed toward Lord Gou, those lower in the caste system bowing lower than the others. Hugo noticed this and bowed even lower, his body making and upside down L. Again, he had to for Reggie to do likewise, almost shoving the fox’s head to his knees. As the lowest of the group, Reggie would have to show the most obeisance toward Lord Gou.

Lord Gou and Lady Kinako bowed in return, the gorilla merely nodding his head while the female macaque’s bow was graceful and probably deeper than needed for her position.

Side by side, Lord Gou and Lady Kinako left the room together although Lady Kinako had to take fast steps to keep up with the gorilla’s powerful strides.

As if their exit was a signal, the mutes rose to their feet and bustled out in an orderly line, those of higher positions leaving first. Servants rushed to their masters if they needed help or to show them back to their rooms.

Daisuke leaned over to Hugo under the pretense of standing up slowly. He groaned as his joints creaked and whispered, “I think after your words with Lord Gou, it would be prudent for you to leave sooner rather than later.”

Hugo did his best not to react, only giving the slightest of nods.

“Don’t do anything until you hear from me.” With more groaning and creaking, Daisuke stood and lumbered off, much slower than the others and the last to leave besides Hugo and Reggie.

More servants entered the dining area, clearing away dishes. They hadn’t even waited for Hugo and Reggie to leave, which may go to show just how much respect strangers and non-primate mutes had in this community.

“Come on, Reggie. Let’s get you to bed,” Hugo said, draping the fox’s arm around his neck. Since Hugo was taller, Reggie’s feet rose off the floor, and he went limp.

_If you aren’t really drunk, you better have a good reason for this,_ Hugo thought. As he left, he gave the servants apologetic smiles and slight bows, thanking them for the food and service. The servants, in turn, looked surprised at his politeness, their returned smiles and bows sincere and cheerful.

One lemur even asked, “Would you like me to bring your friend some tea later? It would help his headache in the morning.”

“That would be lovely. Thank you very much,” Hugo replied, keeping up the appearance that they would still be in the palace in the morning.

As he left the room, Hiroshi was waiting in the hall to lead them back to their room, a pair of gorilla guards in tow. He hoped that Daisuke’s plan took in account the guards.

Following Hiroshi, Hugo tried to figure out the labyrinth of the palace, seeing if he understood where the exit could be, but it was still beyond him why Hiroshi kept turning corners. Could it be that Hiroshi knew that they planned on escaping and led them in circles to confuse them? Or was it that Hiroshi was just as lost as he was?

“Here we are,” Hiroshi announced, opening the sliding doors.

“Thank goodness,” Hugo said, wiping away more sweat from his forehead. He hadn’t exerted himself physically, but anxiety kept his glands seeping liquid. It was a good thing that the pheromones wouldn’t affect Reggie.

“Is there anything else I can do for you tonight?” Hiroshi asked as they stepped into the room.

The sky had grown darker as night fell. The storm still raged outside, the wind pushing against the glass windows. Candles had been lit around the room and a fire crackled comfortingly in a cast iron stove in the corner, warming the air. Two fluffy futons had been spread on the floor, ready for the guests to rest.

Hugo dumped Reggie on one of the futons. “No, I believe we have everything we need.”

Hiroshi bowed and left. Through the thin paper walls, Hugo could see his silhouette pause, whispering to the guards, then move down the halls and out of sight.

“Did you catch any of that?” Hugo asked, looking down at the prone Reggie. If anyone could hear what Hiroshi said, it would be Reggie’s large ears. Primates’ hearing wasn’t anything compared to a fox’s

“Not entirely,” Reggie said, not moving from where Hugo dropped him. “Somethin’ ‘bout if they see or hear anythin’ strange t’ inform Lord Gou.”

“Just as I thought,” Hugo said, dropping onto the other futon. “Even with Daisuke’s help, it’s going to be difficult getting out of here.”

“I might have somethin’ that could help us,” Reggie said. Quietly, he padded over to their pack on all fours, as stealthy as his primal ancestors. He rummaged through a few pockets before pulling out a flask, presenting it with pride.

Hugo rubbed his face. “Haven’t you drunk enough alcohol yet?”

“This ain’t fer drinkin’,” Reggie said with a gleam in his eye. “It’s humming bomber nectar.”

“You idiot!” Hugo shouted before remembering he was supposed to be quiet. Then in a harsh whisper, “What are you doing with humming bomber nectar? You could have blown us up!”

“Ah, I wouldn’t do that,” Reggie said, not in the least bothered by the name-calling. “I had it safely stowed away. An’ as far as I can see, we’re both in one piece.”

Hugo had put up with a lot from Reggie, including the time when he tried to steal honey from dubstep bees and they ended up dancing for a week before they could persuade the queen to give them the antidote. But this was a whole new level of idiotic. If Antoine had jostled that flask the right way, they would be nothing left of the three mutes but a crater on planet Earth.

Hugo sighed. What was done was done. Besides, that flask might just be useful.

“Please, let me hold it until we need it,” Hugo said, extending his hand. He would feel much better if he was in control of the volatile liquid.

“Here ya go.” Reggie tossed it with reckless abandon.

Hugo practically dove for it, more sweat trickling down his brow. “This is going to be a long night,” Hugo said, wiping away the sweat with his sleeve. “Are you sure you aren’t drunk?”

“Eeeeeehhh,” Reggie moaned, tilting his hand back and forth in a so-so gesture.

Hugo hugged the flask to his chest, feeling his heart still beating a staccato against his chest. “How about we get our packs ready for a hasty exit?” Hugo said.

Reggie gave the pile a skeptical look. “We might have t’ jettison some excess weight. We can’t carry everythin’.”

Hugo suspected as much and knew that the excess weight would have to be his books and instruments since they were luxuries rather than necessities. It stung his heart at the thought, especially after learning from Lord Gou that writing and music were forbidden in Saruichi. The things he would leave behind would most likely be burned.

“Pack up the bare minimum,” Hugo said harshly. “If we need to move swiftly, we take only what we need.”

Together, they sifted through the packs, putting bedding, food, and everything they needed to survive in the wilderness in packs, the weight divided between them. Everything Hugo owned was left behind including several dozen books, piles of sheet music he collected, and seven instruments. The only personal affects he allowed himself to keep were his personal journal, the letters he had composed for Song and Lio, and the music compositions he was working on.

Reggie also left behind things he had collected including a stack of ragged western novels, five cowboy hats, boots with spurs—even though the fox didn’t wear footwear—and a battered guitar which was used to sing lonely, cowboy songs at night in front of a campfire.

Hugo wasn’t the only one giving up things he loved.

In the end, they each had a pack that they could run with, leaving behind more than half of the weight.

“Antoine will be able t’ run faster if we have t’,” Reggie said. He pulled off his kimono, standing in the buff.

“What are you doing? At a time like this?” Hugo almost shrieked.

“I ain’t runnin’ ‘round in that storm in this hoity-toity geddup,” Reggie proclaimed.

_Good point,_ Hugo thought, fingering the fine silk. It would be a shame to leave it behind. It was quite light. Perhaps there was room in his pack for it.

Just as he was going through the discarded pile for his clothes to replace his kimono, his ears picked up the unmistakable voice of Lady Kinako outside their room.

“I cannot let you in there, Lady Kinako. Lord Gou’s orders,” the rumbly voice of a gorilla guard said.

“They are _my_ guests. Lord Gou has no say whether I see them or not. He is not my husband yet,” Lady Kinako said, her words crisp and curt. “Stand aside.”

Hesitantly, the paper sliding doors opened and Lady Kinako stepped in. The gorilla guards glared inside.

“Close the door,” Lady Kinako ordered, and they slid together with a bang.

Through the paper, Hugo saw the silhouette of one of the guards leave his post, marching down the hall. He hissed through his teeth. They might have to move without Daisuke’s help.

“I apologize for coming to see you so late,” Lady Kinako said, bowing her head respectfully. “I wanted to come before the banquet but there wasn’t time.” She was dressed in a pink kimono far simpler than the one she wore before. “I’m sorry for any embarrassment you suffered at the feast due to my fiancé.”

Music swam through Hugo’s mind as soon as Lady Kinako began speaking. He wanted this moment to slow down, to pay attention to the melody that his brain was concocting at this moment, but his life was more important.

“I’m afraid I’m not up to more socializing,” Hugo said, regretting the bite in his voice. “It has been a long day. We were about to retire.” He gestured to Reggie who was—to Hugo’s embarrassment, still undressed.

“Howdy, Ma’am,” Reggie said with a bright smile.

“Oh my!” Lady Kinako exclaimed, lifting one sleeve so to shield herself from his nakedness.

It reminded Hugo of his earlier suspicion that the mutes may have a nudity taboo, but who had started that idea? Most mutes didn’t mind going around without clothes, even those that wore them on a regular basis. So who had taught this society that nudity was something to be ashamed of?

Hoping that Reggie’s crude ways may hasten Lady Kinako to leave faster, Hugo didn’t say anything about the fox. “It really isn’t proper for you to be here, My Lady. Perhaps tomorrow we can talk.” Again, he hated lying. In fact, he would have found the prospect of speaking to Lady Kinako to be something to look forward to.

“Tomorrow will be too late,” Lady Kinako said, moving forward but still keeping her eyes shielded. “If there is any chance that my life can be spared, then I must talk to you now.”

Hugo’s heart jumped. “You’re life?”

“Yes. I will die tomorrow night,” she said, tears filling her eyes but refusing to spill out. “Please, if you have any heart, tell me, are you really Scarlemagne?”

A spectrum of emotions flooded Hugo. He was swayed by her emotional pleading, to help her, but the minute she spoke that name, he became suspicious of her motives. What did she want with Scarlemagne?

After a quick mental debate, Hugo said, “No, I’m not.”

Lady Kinako’s hand dropped, forgetting the naked fox, and she took two steps toward him. “No, you must be. Those scars. You must be Scarlemagne.”

Hugo looked away from her, afraid that her desperation might change his mind. “You’re mistaken. I’m not Scarlemagne.”

“Then tell me, do you have his powers?” She stepped closer again, reaching out to him. “The stories of Scarlemagne say that he had the power to force humans to obey him. You’re a mandrill mute. Can you do as he did?”

Fists clenching in anger, it took all his control to not yell. So, that is why Lady Kinako invited them into Saruichi and the banquet. She only wanted Scarlemagne and his pheromones. Although they had just met, in some way, Hugo felt betrayed.

After taking a few deep breaths, he replied as calmly as he could, “Only Scarlemagne could do that. No other mandrills have that power.”

It was true. The few mandrills he had met didn’t possess the “power,” as Kinako had phrased it, the pheromones needed to control the minds of primates. Like most mutes, the mandrill species had a genetic upgrade that gave them extra strength when they were angry or scared, most likely stemmed from the pituitary gland when adrenaline was pumped into their system. It wasn’t much different from Hugo’s gift.

After Hugo spoke, Lady Kinako sank to her knees. “Then…you did not come here to help us.” Her voice was filled with despair.

Despite the situation, Hugo’s heart still went out to the macaque. Her words sounded sincere, and if her life was in danger, perhaps there was something he could do as Hugo and not Scarlemagne.

“If you’re telling the truth that you are in danger, I will help if I can,” Hugo said, squatting down to her level. “But I don’t know much about the situation. How is your life in danger? And what do the humans have to do with anything? I thought they were you’re allies.”

“Tomorrow is my wedding day. And I will be killed on my wedding night,” Lady Kinako said. The tears finally spilled down her face. She bared her teeth, an instinctual sign telling of her stress.

“Why would the humans want to kill you?”

“It is not them who will kill me. It will be Lord Gou.” Fear shot through her eyes as if the large gorilla was right there, squeezing her neck.

Hugo jumped to his feet. Things didn’t make sense. This whole village made no sense. The culture. The caste system. And now this. “Why would Lord Gou kill you? What does any of that have to do with humans?” Hugo shouted, feeling frustrated. Things were getting more and more complicated, and he felt the weight of others wanting him to fix their problems on his shoulders.

“It was the humans that established Lord Gou as the Daimyo. They put him in charge, and his word is the law only below the human’s edicts,” Lady Kinako explained. “The humans put restrictions on our village, preventing anyone from leaving. On top of that, Lord Gou takes anything he wants with no regard for others.”

“Including your life?” Hugo asked.

The tears dried up, and Lady Kinako’s face became stoic and hard. “Perhaps one day, he will grow tired of me. I don’t doubt that if I displease him or become a burden to him or even grow tired of me, he would kill me. But I don’t intend to live that long.” From underneath her kimono, Lady Kinako pulled out a small blade, the cold metal gleaming in the candle light.

More complicated still. Hugo turned around, his mind flashing through the information that he learned that day, trying to come up with a solution, anything to help the female mute as well as to escape into the night. There just wasn’t enough time, and he still had so many questions.

Suddenly, Reggie made a yipping noise and dodged behind the pile of their discarded things, scrambling to yank on his pants.

“What is it?” Hugo asked, feeling as if the other shoe was about to drop.

Reggie gestured wildly toward the window then continued to dress.

Turning to the window, Hugo gasped as he saw several figures dressed in black were crawling through it with five more already inside. He hadn’t heard any of them enter. Sure, Reggie wouldn’t dress for a lady, but once the ninjas get involved, he’s indecent.

Seeing them as well, Lady Kinako scrambled backward, her voice rising in a scream.

Hugo reacted almost without thinking. He ran to her and covered her mouth. If he had to deal with ninjas, he didn’t want Lord Gou’s guards involved as well. Almost as soon as his hand covered the macaque’s mouth, she quieted and relaxed.

“Do not be afraid. We are friends,” one of the ninjas said. A larger form came forward, and he removed the fabric covering his face.

“Daisuke!” Hugo said in relief.

“A little warnin’ woulda been nice,” Reggie snapped, now completely dressed.

“What is Kinako doing here?” Daisuke asked, looking pale.

“She came to me asking for help. She thought I was Scarlemagne,” Hugo explained.

“Foolish girl,” Daisuke said, shaking his head. “Kinako, you must get out of here right now. Lord Gou is coming this way right now. You cannot be part of this.”

Hugo removed his hand from Lady Kinako so she could leave, but she didn’t react when he stepped away. Looking at her face, he gasped as he saw the familiar wide-eyed, blank expression on her face that he was achingly familiar with.

“What is wrong with her?” Daisuke asked, rushing over and shaking Lady Kinako.

“My sleeves,” Hugo said, figuring out what had happened. He had used his sleeves to wipe away all the sweat from his brow. They were still damp. Somehow, his sweat had transferred from the silk onto her skin when he restrained her. “No. I didn’t mean to.”

“What did you do to her?” Daisuke accused, turning to Hugo.

“It’ll wear off soon. I promise,” Hugo explained. “She’s going to be fine.”

Daisuke stared at Hugo, then at Lady Kinako, then back to Hugo. “You.”

_Oh, no. He’s figured it out._

“You’re—“

“Don’t say it,” Hugo hissed. “I’m not him. Not anymore.”

Daisuke’s eyes fitted back and forth as if he were reading Hugo like a book. Then his eyes narrowed. “You need to leave now!”

“That’s what we’re trying to do,” Hugo said, pulling on his pack. He wished he could change his clothes like Reggie had. Already the chill wind from the open window was cooling him down. He moved to the window, Reggie on his heels.

“And you must take Kinako with you,” Daisuke ordered, swooping up the female into his arms and pushing her towards Hugo.

“Take her?” Hugo and Reggie said together.

“Lord Gou might figure out who you are from her state,” Daisuke explained, putting Lady Kinako into Hugo’s arms. “If he does, then he’ll stop at nothing to find you.”

Even more complicated.

“But what do we do with her?” Hugo asked, looking confused and scared at having the female dumped onto him both literally and figuratively.

“We could just leave her in the woods. She’ll find her way back,” Reggie said as he scrambled out the window after the last ninja. He made the suggestion so casually, it was as if he had been in similar situations.

“But I—“

At that moment, the sliding doors were shoved open, Lord Gou leading half a dozen guards into the room.

“They’re kidnapping Lady Kinako!” a guard shouted, pointing at the fleeing ninjas.

The paper walls opposite of them were ripped apart. Wooden frames and paper shreds flying in all directions. The mighty roar of an alpha, silver back gorilla filled the air, vibrating like a woofer on high volume.

“Oh, dear,” Hugo said, his eyes widening.

“I’ve got this,” Reggie said, still standing on the window sill. He held up a glass vial. Inside, a few drops of bright pink liquid glistened in the dim light. “Ninja vanish!” he shouted as he tossed the vial at the troop of gorillas’ feet.

As the small but destructive humming bomber nectar exploded, causing Hugo and Kinako to go flying out the window, the mandrill mute could only think, _That stupid fox was holding out on me again._


	6. Mute's Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hugo and Reggie escape from Saruichi

A-Mute-ilation

Chapter 5: Mutes Away

Hugo held tightly onto Lady Kinako as they flew through the air. Luckily they were close enough to the window that they sailed outside instead of being trapped in the building and the destruction the humming bomber nectar wracked on the palace. He felt the wind and rain pelting against him first, then the branches of a tree within the garden below. With his ears ringing from the explosion, he could barely perceive the roaring of the storm around him. Flames ravaged the palace behind him, and even though the storm, he could feel the intense heat.

Dizzy and swaying with the tree branches, it took Hugo a moment to clear his senses. His eyes caught sight of shadows jumping from the palace, landing in the garden below. Ninjas.

Shifting Lady Kinako into a fireman’s carry, Hugo swung down to the ground among the ninjas, looking for the familiar orange coat of Reggie but didn’t see it.

“The Daimyo will be calling more guards. We need to get you out of the city now,” Daisuke shouted over the storm.

“Where’s Reggie?” Hugo shouted back.

“I don’t know where your friend is. That stunt of his bought us time, but it may have cost him his lift,” Daisuke yelled.

Hugo couldn’t believe it. Reggie had more lives than a forest full of timber cats. Wherever the fox was, he could take care of himself.

“Let’s go,” Hugo shouted. The rain had soaked him all the way through, his light kimono doing nothing to keep him warm.

Together, the ninjas moved as one toward the far wall of the garden, climbing the large, golden statue of Song and then leaping onto the wall. Daisuke helped Hugo with his burden, which the mandrill was thankful for. Gold, when wet, was quite slick. Up on the statue’s shoulder, Hugo got a good look at his doppelgänger. This rendition of Scarlemagne was much more fierce and ruthless in appearance than Hugo ever felt. The scars etched into the face were deep and only added to the cruel expression on this Scarlemagne’s face.

Although Hugo didn’t think it wasn’t a good likeness of him, it still cut him deep. Was this what others saw of him? Even embracing culture and panache, had they seen this monster beyond his pressed suit and cravat? It was no wonder he was hated.

Except here. He was a god to these mutes. What kind of god did they see him as? What were they doing with the name Scarlemagne?

Turning away from the statue, Hugo jumped to the wall with a bitter taste in his mouth. Coming to the village had been a mistake. But then he remembered Lady Kinako’s words and the knife she carried. He vowed that once they were safe, he would question Daisuke about the situation. If he could help the macaque, then all this would be worth it.

As they scurried across the wall, the wind growing bolder that it threatened to knock them off to fall twenty feet. The rain felt so cold, that it seemed to threaten to turn into ice.

Suddenly, a second explosion rocked the wall, causing several of the ninjas to fall to their knees. Daisuke had to grab Hugo’s sleeve to prevent him from falling off the wall.

Flames spewed from a small building beside the palace. The fire was bright enough to light the courtyard of the palace as several mutes raced around to put out the fire both in the palace and beside it. Large shadowing forms poured out of the palace, but these mutes weren’t there to help the servants. They were armed with swords, and spears.

“Lord Gou’s guards,” Daisuke shouted. “They’ll be flooding the city in minutes. Let’s g—“

His words were interrupted by a shrill shout. A giant head appeared over the wall, sharp incisors clacking together like a pair of scissors. Large, bulging eyes took in the ninjas, who crouched as if to fight at the sight of the insect.

“Yeeeeehaaaaaaw!” the form on the ant’s back shouted, whipping his cowboy hat around.

“Reggie!” Hugo shouted, not at all surprised by the dramatic entrance.

“What are ya’ll waitin’ fer?” Reggie shouted to the ninjas. “Ain’t we escapin’?”

Swinging up onto Antoine, Hugo held onto the saddle with one hand while cradling Lady Kinako in his arms. Just as he had situated himself, Antoine walked down the other side of the wall toward the city, creating a roller coaster effect for its riders. Avoiding the streets, the giant ant ran on top of the buildings, its legs creating divots and craters in the clay roof tiles.

To his surprise, Hugo saw that the ninjas were able to keep up with the ant, running on the roofs as well and leaping from building to building. Even Daisuke with his weight and age ran alongside Antoine. Perhaps all that groaning and creaking before was an act.

As they approached the gate into the city, Hugo could see a gathering of mutes conforming around the exit, the glint of metal sparking even in the dark storm.

“Keep going. We’ll take out the guards,” Daisuke shouted at the riders on the ant, he and his ninja sprinting ahead along the roof, pulling out weapons of their own.

“Do ya still got that humming bomber juice?” Reggie shouted at Hugo as he snapped the reigns.

Hugo remembered the flask that he had confiscated from the fox not long ago. He had it tucked away in his pack, tight against his supplies so it wouldn’t accidentally go off.

“Yes,” Hugo shouted back.

“Git it for me,” Reggie yelled.

“I think you’ve caused enough mayhem for one night,” Hugo declined. There was no telling what kind of damage that much humming bomber nectar could do.

Since Antoine couldn’t jump, the ant had to climb down the last of the buildings to the ground before scaling the city wall. During that time, several guards that weren’t occupied with fighting ninjas ran at the ant, grabbing onto the saddle or Antoine’s legs before the insect climbed too high. The ant hardly slowed at the extra weight, its legs moving quickly up the wall, discarding a few of the guards.

But one guard that had a good hold on the saddle lifted his sword, shouting as he struck out at Hugo.

Unable to defend himself and hold onto Lady Kinako, Hugo could do nothing but lean away, shielding the female mute with his own body.

“Buzz off, ya baboon,” Reggie shouted, swinging in the saddle so that his legs kicked out at the chimp, nailing him in the face. “Ah, no offense to yer relatives,” he added apologetically to Hugo.

“I’ll forgive you since your timing is impeccable,” Hugo said before spotting another guard coming from the other side. He pointed, looking expectantly at the fox.

Reggie didn’t need any more of an invitation. He threw a punch at the chimpanzee’s face, followed by a right hook to the chin and a final blow to the nose before the guard finally cried out and fell.

By this time, Antoine made it to the top of the wall and was crawling in an arch so he could begin descending the other side. The rolling motion put Hugo off balance, and it was all he could do to keep Lady Kinako in his arms and not fall off himself. Reggie, on the other hand, threw his paws up in the air, twirling his hat and shouting, “Yeeeeehaaaaaw!”

Once on the ground, Antoine was able to go his full speed with no houses, no walls, or anything else in his way.

Glancing behind, Hugo saw the ninjas jumping over the wall like a waterfall, following after the ant like a shadow wave. The doors to Saruichi opened, and guards charged out after them, although they quickly fell behind.

Not long after that, the rain began to take on a different texture, the water droplets laced with ice. The longer it fell, the more it turned into snow until all they could see was white in all directions. Between the cold and the snow, Antoine slowed down enough that the ninjas were able to catch up.

“Keep going,” Daisuke shouted, pointing. “Flee into the mountains. We will hold off the Daimyo’s guards until the snow covers your tracks.”

“Antoine can’t travel in this weather,” Reggie shouted back. “Insects hibernate when it gets too cold.”

“Why is it snowing? It’s the middle of July,” Hugo yelled. He had intentionally avoided the winter months in the north so he wouldn’t be caught in the snow. He wasn’t built for such conditions.

“It’s the Great Blizzard. He must have come down from the North Pole looking for food,” Daisuke said, looking up into the snow flurries with a wise look on his face.

“The Great Blizzard?” Hugo repeated, wondering if this was some sort of local myth.

Reggie was the one to explain for the mandrill. “I’ve heard o’ him. The Great Blizzard is a mega polar bear, said t’ be so large that he’s a walkin’ moun’ain with a freezin’ storm forever circlin’ overhead.”

Hugo seen some strange mutes, but if what Reggie said was true, this was the largest mega he had ever heard of. The size was enough for the mandrill to wish to avoid the mega mute, but with the power of a storm behind the mega polar bear, it was destructive.

“We can’t just flee into the mountains with this storm,” Hugo reasoned. “We need shelter until the storm blows over.”

“There are several caves in the mountains. I will send a guide with you,” Daisuke said, waving over one of the ninjas. “This is Akito. He will make sure you find safety.”

“What about Lady Kinako? We cannot take her with us,” Hugo said, still holding tightly to the stunned macaque.

“She will be safer with you for the moment,” Daisuke said. “Beyond our valley, north west of here is a collection of abandoned human dwellings ten miles away. Akito knows the way. I will meet you there in four days. Until then, keep her safe.”

The orangutan traced a finger down Lady Kinako’s face. Although her eyes were wide open, she didn’t react to his touch or the cold. Eerily, she acted as if dead.

With a quick word and gesture, the group of ninjas disappeared into the storm back toward Saruichi save for the one called Akito. He lowered the black mask over his face. By the long, lithe tail, the intelligent eyes and the colors of face and fur, Hugo guessed he was a young Capuchin monkey.

“This way,” Akito said, waving his arm and racing forward.

The snow was quickly sticking to the ground and gathering in large clumps. By the time the ground started sloping upwards, the snow was inches deep around Akito and Antoine’s feet and getting stronger by the minute.

“I don’t suppose these caves are anywhere close to them hot springs, pardner?” Reggie shouted at their guide.

Akito shook his head. “That is where the Daimyo’s guards will look first. The hot springs are tempting since their warmth will save us, but they will most likely entrap up. The caves are the only way.”

They continued farther into the mountains, the snow and wind intensifying. Snow drifts came up to Akito’s knees, but the monkey mute kept moving forward. And although Antoine’s thin legs made it easier for it to travel through the snow, the cold had caused their pack animal to slow considerably.

After hours of trekking through the storm over crags and mountain paths, Hugo felt he was frozen to the saddle. His thin fur and the silk kimono did little to keep in his body’s warmth, and although Lady Kinako’s kimono wasn’t that much thicker than his own, he was glad she had thick fur, which protected her. He was certain that if he wasn’t carrying the Japanese macaque, he might have died of exposure.

Reggie didn’t seem affected that much by the storm; his summer coat was still better protection than most, although the fox was starting to huddle and shiver.

“How much farther?” Hugo called to their guide.

Akito turned back to look at them, then gazed around as if he could see more of the scenery than the large, wind-blown snowflakes. “Less than a mile,” the Capuchin monkey insisted, although there was a micro-expression of uncertainty on his young face.

Hugo was about to question the monkey mute’s experience on this matter when a deep roar reverberated through their bodies, so loud that their bones rattled. It was as if Hugo were standing in front of an umlaut snake’s speaker only a hundred times louder.

“What was that?” Reggie screamed, his tail bristling in fear.

Akito took a few steps back, stumbling in the snow as he pointed high up in the sky.

Through the wall of snowflakes, the group made out a shadow darker than the night. It was huge, like a walking mountain. They could see sharp, jagged peaks that moved, the storm swirling in a vortex around them. The peaks sloped downward to a smooth hump and then formed what was unmistakably a bear’s head almost invisible in the snow storm.

The mega polar bear looked almost impossibly large. Nothing that big should be able to exist, but it was right there before their eyes.

“The Great Blizzard!” Akito shrieked, rushing to the ant. “He will blow us away with his breath. We must run.”

Reggie kicked at Antoine as hard as he could, jerking the reins to direct the ant away from the polar bear head. The ant was sluggish to obey, not understanding the danger they were in.

Just at that point, Lady Kinako blinked her eyes and struggled in Hugo’s arm. “What is? Where am I?” She didn’t seem to notice that they were in a storm, only saw the mandrill mute holding her close. “Unhand me!” she commanded, pushing away from him.

Through the cold and fatigue he felt, Hugo had maintained his two jobs as they fled Saruichi: stay in the saddle and hold Lady Kinako. The unexpected awakening of the female put him off guard so much that he could only do one of these. As the Japanese macaque fought like a wildcat in her confusion, the two tumbled out of the saddle, Hugo managing to keep a grip on her wrist.

“Hugo!” Reggie shouted, pulling Antoine to a stop. “Are you oka—Look out!”

Lifting his head from the snow, Hugo only got a glimpse of a giant maw opening up, blasting them with a cold, hurricane-level blast of air that lifted them all off the ground. Reggie, Akito and Antoine flew off in one direction.

Holding fast to Lady Kinako’s, Hugo closed his eyes as the frigid air picked him up, tumbling him through the sky as if he were a kite in a tornado. The wind threatened to tear his grip away from Lady Kinako, but he felt thin, nimble fingers enclosing around his own wrist, strengthening their tentative bond. A couple of times, their bodies collided as they twisted in the freefall until Lady Kinako grabbed a handful of his kimono and pulled him closer. She curled up with her face pressed against his chest. Hugo wrapped his arms around her, still keeping his eyes squeezed shut, blindly believing that he would die the moment the pair of them touched earth.

But earth wasn’t the first thing they touched. Several limber but solid objects hit them which Hugo determined later were tree branches. And although they stung like whips, they were what saved them by slowing their fall along with the snow bank they rolled into.

Battered, bruised, freezing, and trembling, Hugo had to take inventory of all his limbs to make sure he was in one piece. It seemed he was, but there was a heaviness on his chest that made it hard to breathe. Then he opened his eyes to match the wide-eyed gaze of Lady Kinako who lay on top of him. For a few seconds, he forgot where he was, music rising in a crescendo in his mind as he took in her light-brown eyes and the light fur framing her face. He was aware that his arms were still around her and was aware of how small and thin she was in comparison to him.

Suddenly, she bared her teeth at him, looking like her feral ancestors as she showed her sharp incisors before leaping off him. Her momentary ferocity was short-lived as she tripped and fell backward into the snow.

“Why did you take me? What drug did you give me?” Lady Kinako demanded, baring her teeth again as if she were going to start growling.

With a groan, Hugo sat up. The aches and pains he was feeling muddled his brain which was telling him to go to sleep. He was slightly aware that his fatigue was being exacerbated by the cold, and if he gave into this inclination, he might not wake up. Due to all this, he found himself incapable of forming a complete thought much less the whole explanation. Instead, he dumbly said, “Daisuke said run.” He was barely aware that he had fudged his grammar.

“Daisuke?” Lady Kinako repeated, her eyes widened. “Where is he?” She looked around as if the orangutan would be nearby.

Hugo stood up. “He…stop…Daimyo.” He once more was reduced to simple words as if he were an idiot. The desire to sink in the snow and fall asleep grew more powerful.

Again, Lady Kinako looked around, worry and desperation twisted on her face. After a while, she said, “You have a lot of explaining to do…later. Right now, we need to find shelter until the storm has moved on.” Without looking back, she picked a direction and started trudging through the snow.

Knowing that he should follow, Hugo took several labored steps before falling onto his hands and knees. He already had lost feeling in his fingers and toes, and wasn’t sure if he was shivering or if the earth was shaking. As he tried to get back on his feet, he felt someone heave him up on one side, taking on some of his weight. It was enough to get him back into motion, keeping the blood in his veins pumping.

He was surprised by Lady Kinako’s strength for someone so small, although she wasn’t gentle in her guidance or her instructions, her voice sharp and hard as she goaded him to keep one foot in front of the other.

They didn’t get far before she led them to a tall, drooping pine tree whose lower branches were sagging so far that they touched the ground. Lady Kinako pushed past the scratchy needles, disturbing several pounds of snow that fell on them in the process. Once past the branches, they stumbled into a sheltered area around the tree’s trunk that was overrun with years and years of old, dried needles. The drooping branches and the snow covering them created a barrier against the snow, and although it wasn’t exactly warm, it was better than exposed to the storm’s mercy.

Lady Kinako left Hugo standing just inside the tree’s protection. He supposed he should stay where he was, but his body swayed back and forth, threatening to topple over. He was aware that his body was shutting down, but he was getting to the point of not caring. He was even so worn out that his body refused to shiver.

After some time, Lady Kinako returned for him, pulling on his arm and guiding him to the tree’s trunk. He could tell that a hole had been dug into the pile of old needles, forming a type of nest. He thought that having all those pine needles surrounding him would be uncomfortable, but his body was so numb, he wasn’t aware of their prickings as he collapsed against the trunk.

“We must warm you up or you’ll lose some fingers and toes to frost bite,” Lady Kinako’s voice pierced his fuzzy thoughts.

He felt something wiggle underneath his feet, and a warm seeped through his soles. Hands ran up and down his arms a few times, then enfolded his own hands in a warm grip. A gentle and comforting tingle began in his digits as if his blood were thawing.

“Sleep,” Lady Kinako said soothingly, scooting closer and pressing against him. “We are in no danger of dying.”

As if that was all the permission he needed, Hugo felt his unconsciousness take over, darkening his thoughts, warmth slowly encasing him, soothing him into a restful dream. In his dream, he felt the warmness of the sun as if there were a tiny ball of heat and light in his arms. He embraced it, needing the energy to rejuvenate his weary body.

Sometime in the night, he opened his eyes, feeling warm and comfortable, listening to the storm rage outside. He cast his eyes slowly around, recalling the memories of how he came to be in such a situation. His vision was bleary with drowsiness that he didn’t question the sight of Lady Kinako leaning against his chest, curled in a ball with her knees drawn to her chin and her arms scrunched close to her chest. The position may have been unnatural to a human, but for a macaque, it was a comfortable way to sleep.

Hugo closed his eyes, against sinking into the world of dreams, vaguely wondering if Lady Kinako was radiating heat and light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is late because I am struggling with anxiety and a new medication. It makes it difficult to do something such as writing.

**Author's Note:**

> I usually don't start a story that I just thought of the night before, but because of Kipo's seize the day attitude, I thought it was appropriate. I'm usually the type to have the entire story planned before I start, but I decided just to charge on it. Hang on everyone, this is going to be a bumpy fanfic.


End file.
